It was a beautiful, sunny day in Athens, Ohio, at Bob Wren Stadium. Packed with eager fans, Ohio (13-25 overall, 8-15 Mid-American Conference) had a matchup with conference opponent Toledo (20-23 overall, 13-10 MAC). Unfortunately for the fans in attendance, Ohio’s bright and sunny day quickly turned gloomy and overcast with Ohio losing 16-2.
The afternoon’s unfortunate events started in the first inning for the Bobcats. Tim Knapschaefer got the start for Ohio and in his first inning of work, he allowed 2 runs to score off of a bloop single from Toledo’s JP Wagner. The runners that scored got on base from sloppy pitching from Knapschaefer, getting hit by pitches and walking off a flurry of bad balls.
Ohio answered right away on offense as JR Nelson reached third base off a double and an error from Toledo’s left fielder Brandon Lucek.
Bryce Smith brought Nelson home after a fielder’s choice from Toledo. Smith grounded the ball to the shortstop who attempted to turn a double play, but Smith slid head-first into first base and beat the throw, scoring Ohio’s first run.
Knapschaefer pitched well in the second inning, giving up just one hit and no runs, setting up Ohio’s offense for an opportunity to tie the game, and it did just that. Caleb Karll and Jackson Cauthron earned hits in the second with AJ Rausch reaching on a fielder’s choice that got Cauthron out. Karll was caught attempting to steal third, but Rausch scored on the same play, tying the game at 2 runs a piece.
Rausch’s run would be the last that the Bobcats would score on Saturday, and unfortunately for them, the Rockets were just getting started at the plate.
In the third, Knapschaefer would balk a run, and in the fourth inning, he would allow 4 runs. If it was not for Pauly Mancino’s miraculous catch at the wall to end the third inning, Ohio would’ve faced an even larger deficit.
Adam Beery entered the game in the fourth, ending Knapschaefer’s day on the mound. Beery would go on to pitch the fifth and sixth innings, only allowing 2 runs until he would be replaced by Luke Borer, a redshirt junior making just his fifth appearance of the season. Borer would go 1-2-3 in the seventh inning, but the next inning got ugly for Ohio.
Toledo scored 7 runs in the eighth inning, capitalized by a home run from Garrett Pike. Borer was responsible for 4 of the runs scored, while Jack Geiser came into the game and gave up the last 3.
Ethan Stewart came into the game in the ninth inning and pitched well, not allowing more runs to score on a devastated Ohio defense.
The game ended with a whimper at the plate for Ohio, as the Bobcats went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the ninth and Owen Williams was wrung up on a check swing to end the game.
Ohio’s day boiled down to the poor pitching performance.
“We didn’t pitch it at all, we had eleven walks and hit-by-pitches and 17 hits. That’s a combination for 16 runs,” said Ohio head coach Craig Moore. “We didn’t pitch it well at all, we didn’t get a good start from Tim (Knapschaefer), the bullpen guys that came in couldn’t throw up any zeros … we didn’t give us a chance to get our offense either.”
The Bobcats have a chance for redemption and a series win on Sunday when they face Toledo in the series finale.
cf111322@ohio.edu
