Ohio (1-5) had another unsuccessful weekend on the road despite tallying its first win of the season Saturday. The Bobcats were an expected favorite against West Georgia (4-2), a program that transitioned from Division II to Division I in July, but couldn’t come through with a series win.
Although Ohio’s main issue in Week One was an inability to get much success off the mound, its main issue in Week Two was a lack of production from the plate. The Bobcat offense was held to just 7 runs in three games, including being shut out Friday night.
Ohio picked up its first win Saturday after an excellent day off the mound from Hudson Boncal, who pitched more than four innings of shutout ball out of the bullpen.
Here’s everything to know from the weekend.
Friday
Friday was perhaps the most frustrating game Ohio has endured all season. Despite six innings of shutout baseball from starter Blake Gaskey, the Bobcats could not scratch across a run, resulting in a 3-0 loss.
Gaskey was the game’s highlight for Ohio, allowing only three hits in six innings pitched without allowing a run. After a rough outing to start the season against Wofford, Gaskey had an encouraging bounce back in his second start.
Although Gaskey had a phenomenal game, West Georgia starter Lane Pearson was even better. Pearson completed seven shutout innings, allowing only three hits while striking out eight.
Landon Price came in to relieve Gaskey in the seventh and immediately surrendered the game's first run to the first batter he faced. Landon Weidner took Price deep over the left field wall to give West Georgia a lead it didn’t relinquish.
Price surrendered 2 more runs in the eighth inning, putting Ohio in a 3-0 hole before the ninth. Price was credited with his second loss in just as many appearances this season.
Saturday
Ohio put it all together and delivered its first win Saturday by a score of 4-2. Jacob Tate took the mound for Ohio but only went one-and-two-thirds innings. Tate was limited early in the season due to an injury before the year.
Tate successfully allowed no runs before Boncal came in in relief and pitched excellently. Boncal allowed just 2 runs after delivering four-and-a-third innings of work out of the bullpen.
Ohio excelled on the mound and its offense got hot at the plate. Dylan Shepard started the scoring with a home run in the third inning off pitcher Sam Cole. Ohio’s infield duo of JR Nelson and Matt Ineich each came across to score in the fifth, ballooning Ohio’s lead to 3 runs.
Reliever Tyler Peck came in to pitch in the eighth inning and was impressive, shutting down West Georgia for two innings en route to his first save of the year.
Sunday
The Bobcats got off to as good a start as any game Sunday, going up 3-0 in the second inning before surrendering a late-inning comeback by West Georgia, who won by a final score of 4-3.
Dillon Masters was handed the ball to start off the mound for Ohio, who had another impressive performance. Masters started with three straight scoreless innings before allowing singular runs in the fourth and fifth.
Ben Slanker got the scoring started for Ohio in the second inning when he sent one over the fence for a 2-run home run that scored Trenton Neuer. Later in the inning, freshman Matt Ineich recorded a sac-fly RBI to score Dylan Shepard.
The Ohio offense did not score outside of the second inning.
Tre Barkman relieved Masters in the sixth inning, holding onto a slim 3-2 lead. Barkman tossed a scoreless sixth before allowing a 2-run home run to Carter Dierdorf to start the seventh. Barkman was credited with the loss after surrendering the lead in the seventh.
Gavin Mask was credited with the win for West Georgia after two scoreless innings where he struck out three batters.
