With a runner in scoring position and one out in the ninth, Ohio had a chance to tie the game with its two hottest hitters due up to bat. During a season that has lacked moments to cheer about, Ohio once again failed to capitalize and come up with a big hit. A strikeout to sophomore outfielder Ben Slanker and a weak pop-up from senior designated hitter Blake Reed ended the game 4-3 in favor of Virginia Military Institute.
“There's no equation or science to it,” Ohio coach Craig Moore said. “We just have to get on base, but their pitcher neutralized us a little bit … We had opportunities to do something, we just couldn’t get it done.”
A 9-24 season from Ohio has seen losses in almost every way possible. In game three against VMI, only a few small mistakes in all three phases led to a narrow loss on the day and another series loss on the season.
Hunter Winston was given the ball for Ohio to make his first weekend start of the season. After stringing together a handful of effective midweek starts, the freshman left-handed pitcher has become the entrusted Sunday starter in the absence of Dillon Masters.
“We decided to put him in that Sunday slot for now to see what he can bring to the table,” Moore said. “I thought for a freshman in a must-win situation, he did really well.”
Winston delivered four straight scoreless innings to start the game before losing control of the zone in the fifth. Pitching with two outs and a 1-0 lead, Winston walked three straight batters in the fifth before being relieved by Trey Barkman, who walked the next two. In the fifth, VMI scored 2 runs to take the lead without recording a hit.
“We preach making the team get three hits to score a run, so (the walks) were a little bit disappointing from the pitching standpoint,” Moore said.
Sophomore first baseman Trae Cassidy is the reason why Ohio had the narrow lead to begin with. Cassidy hit a double to the left field wall, scoring freshman shortstop Matt Ineich.
Despite a poor performance in the top of the fifth by Ohio’s pitching staff, VMI was hindered by walks of its own in the fifth. Three walks and a single allowed Ohio to tie the game at 2-2 in the bottom half of the inning.
Once again, as soon as Ohio could cut the deficit, it immediately surrendered the lead again in the sixth. Back-to-back walks to start the inning for Barkman led to a quick pitching change with runners on base. Moore called upon Tyler Peck out of the bullpen, who struggled to limit the damage.
After walking the first batter he faced to load the bases, Peck surrendered a 2-RBI single to freshman infielder Ayden Schnarrs that scored the go-ahead run. From the sixth inning on, Ohio was playing catch-up to the Keydets.
After poor performances from Peck and Barkman, the Ohio bullpen was flawless. The eighth and ninth innings were once again occupied by underclassmen Ethan Stewart and Jack Geiser, both of whom have taken on significant roles as the season comes to its close.
“Ethan Stewart has earned it,” Moore said. “All we're asking him to do is do one inning, three outs. He's been doing that. Jack Geiser is kind of the closer back-end guy for us right now. He goes out there with confidence and conviction … They were both great.”
The Bobcats cut the Keydets' lead to 1 in the sixth after a deep home run by senior third baseman Nick Dolan. Ohio was able to set up a few scoring opportunities in the game's final innings, but once again, just couldn’t capitalize with a big hit.
With the loss, Ohio extended its streak of series losses to six in a row. The last time the Bobcats won a series was the first week in March against Butler during the team's home opener.
With five weeks of the season left, Ohio still has plenty of chances to deliver memorable moments at Bob Wren Stadium. The Bobcats will be back on the road next weekend with a quality opportunity against MAC rival Kent State.
