Ohio (10-22 overall, 6-12 Mid-American Conference) traveled to Dayton (24-13 overall, 6-3 Atlantic 10 Conference) to face it in a mid-week matchup. This past weekend, Ohio snapped its nine-game losing streak against Eastern Michigan, winning the series two games to one.
Ohio looked to carry the momentum from the weekend into the game against an excellent Dayton team. Ohio started the game by scoring in the first inning after a double from freshman JR Nelson and a single from graduate student Bryce Smith that scored Nelson.
After the top of the first inning, the game would turn terrible for Ohio, with sophomore Landon Price taking the mound for the Bobcats in just his second start of the season. Price could not record an out in the first inning before being taken out of the game.
He saw seven batters, allowing three hits and three walks, and he hit one batter, allowing Dayton to score 6 runs in the first inning. Junior Hudson Boncal replaced Price in the first inning and recorded all three outs in the inning.
Boncal would go on to pitch one more inning, where Dayton scored 1 unearned run in the second inning after a missed throw to third base by the catcher on a stolen base attempt to make the score 7-1.
Boncal’s final stat line was 2.0 innings pitched, three hits, no walks, two strikeouts, and no earned runs. Junior Adam Beery replaced Boncal in the third inning. Beery did an excellent job of keeping Dayton’s offense silent, not allowing any runs to score while he was in command on the mound for the three innings he pitched. Junior Patrick Straub replaced him in the sixth inning.
Beery’s final stat line was 3.0 innings pitched, two hits, one walk, two strikeouts and no runs.
Straub also did a great job at keeping Dayton’s offense silent while he was on the mound for one inning before being replaced by junior Luke Borer. Straub did not allow any runs while only giving up one hit.
No runs were scored between both teams until the seventh inning when bases were loaded from Nelson being hit by a pitch, fifth-year Alex Finney being walked and senior Gideon Antle hitting an infield single.
Smith was up to bat next and took full advantage of the runners on base, hitting a grand slam, making the score 7-5. Borer was replaced with senior Luke Olson in the eighth inning. Borer kept the pitching momentum going by not allowing any runs to score.
Olson also pitched great, not allowing a baserunner to keep Ohio in the game going into the ninth inning. Ohio was only able to get one runner on base in the ninth inning before Nelson hit into a double play, losing to Dayton 7-5. Price was credited with the loss.
