On the wrong end of five no-hit innings, Ohio needed answers when sophomore infielder Trae Cassidy stepped into the box. Down 2-0, Cassidy hit a ground ball passed the diving third baseman for not only Ohio’s first hit but first baserunner too. The inning would conclude with another zero in the run column, but the first hit was a crucial sign of things to come.
At the top of the sixth, Ohio coach Craig Moore made the crucial decision to stick with senior pitcher Blake Gaskey, who earned three outs after getting a double play to end the inning.
The Bobcats would come back to the dugout fired up, and it didn’t take long to start racking up hits. Senior catcher Blake Reed, who was in the designated hitter role on Friday, led off the inning with a single to left field and would advance to second on an errant pickoff throw by the Eastern Michigan pitcher.
First base would not be unoccupied long, as senior outfielder Trent Neuer would take a walk, and Ohio would now have first and second with nobody out for freshman infielder Matt Ineich. Ohio would implement some situational baseball, trying to move the runners over, but an even better outcome would occur as Ineich laid down a perfect bunt and loaded the bases.
“It makes or breaks the game in tight games like that, where your hits aren’t falling, your barrels aren’t falling,” Ineich said. “So, getting them down in those crucial times, passing the bat to the next guy is so important.”
The Bobcats were knocking on the door for the first time all afternoon, and their first run of the day would come shortly after. All the Bobcats’ runners would advance on a wild pitch, with Reed scoring from third to make it 2-1, still with nobody out. The Bobcats would tie the game on sophomore infielder JR Nelson’s RBI ground out to score Neuer and advance Ineich to third.
Ohio was not done there; sophomore outfielder Pauly Mancino hit a fly ball to center field caught just shy of the warning track. The ball was hit deep enough to allow Ineich to tag up and score from third. Eight Ohio hitters would come to the plate in the bottom of the sixth where they acquired three hits and two walks to take the 3-2 lead.
After a no-hitter seventh pitched by sophomore Trey Barkman, Ohio turned to sophomore Jack Geiser to maintain and secure the win.
In the eighth, Geiser got two quick outs while only surrendering one base runner. However, an untimely error allowed the Eagles to tie at 3-3 on an RBI single through the left side of the infield.
In the bottom of the eighth, Ohio’s first two hitters were retired, but Mancino stepped in and hustled out an infield hit. Ohio got aggressive with two outs and sent Mancino to second on the first pitch to sophomore outfielder Ben Slanker. Slanker was then intentionally walked with the base open.
The game’s biggest at-bat fell in the hands of senior infielder Nick Dolan. With a chance to take the lead, Dolan came through for Ohio by sending a sharp line drive to centerfield that would score Mancino easily and give Ohio the 4-3 lead.
“Just to put the ball in play somewhere hard,” said Dolan. “I didn't know what was gonna come in the at bat, but as long as I found a gap somewhere trying to squeak something through, we had a lot of speed on the bases. Those guys I know are gonna run hard and score, no matter where it was gonna be.”
Geiser ran out to the mound, reassuming the lead, and looked to once again shut the door on the Eagles. He came out rejuvenated with the same confidence as the top of the ninth.
“I trust my guys,” said Geiser. “Errors are gonna happen, but I have faith in him coming up next at-bat, I had faith in my guys give me a run there to work with in the top of the ninth.”
Geiser’s confidence was well-warranted as he collected his first win of the season, and Ohio came back to win the game 4-3 after a slow start Friday afternoon.
