Tuesday marked the first time in the history of Bob Wren Stadium that Ohio hosted a team from the Atlantic Coast Conference, as Pittsburgh visited Athens for a midweek game.
Despite the historical significance of the evening, the Bobcats couldn’t put together any sustained offense against the Panthers and fell 6-1.
The Bobcats had an opportunity in the second inning to take an early lead on the Panthers, with third baseman Ty Black and designated hitter Austin Rieman knocking a pair of two-out singles. Black advanced to third on the play, but was thrown out attempting to steal home in the following at-bat.
Ohio (10-34) again had a chance to open the scoring in the third, spreading three hits across the inning but failing to convert those into runs.
Pittsburgh (22-24) would finally make the Bobcats pay for their wasted scoring attempts in the fourth inning, scoring its first run on a balk by starting pitcher Sean Kennedy with runners on second and third.
Senior reliever Brad Przebieda was called in to put out the Panthers' rally with one out in the inning, but allowed another run to score on a single by shortstop Dylan Wolsonovich.
Kennedy, who normally serves as the Bobcats’ long reliever, pitched 3 1/3 innings, allowing two earned runs on one hit, one walk and two hit batters.
After a quiet fifth, Pittsburgh blew the game open in the sixth. Ohio reliever Matt Mikolajczak allowed a lead-off single and a double before ceding to righty Jeremy Cronk, who would allow three more runs in the inning.
Cronk, however, wasn’t charged with any earned runs, as the third Panther run of the inning came by way of a Pittsburgh runner scoring from third on a botched dropped third strike by catcher Anthony Winters.
The following inning, Ohio reliever Spencer Sapp was saddled with an unearned run after an error by Black allowed Panthers left fielder A.J. Lardo to reach base and eventually score on a double by pinch hitter Jordan Frabasilio.
Ohio’s lone run of the evening came in the bottom half of the seventh, as Rieman doubled in first baseman John Adryan, who led off the inning with a double.
The Bobcats will return to action Friday and travel to Bowling Green for a three-game series with the Falcons. Ohio (6-15 Mid-American Conference) has won four of its past six conference games and is looking to extend its MAC series winning streak to three.
ch203310@ohiou.edu
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