Ohio lost its home series against Western Michigan over the weekend, losing the rubber match 10-6 on Sunday.
After scoring eight runs in its series last weekend against Ball State, Ohio scored 22 runs against the Broncos. The Bobcats batted .242 against Ball State; they batted .269 against Western Michigan.
The Bobcats will end their regular season with a road series this weekend against Central Michigan. The top six teams in the Mid-American Conference will play in the conference’s championship, which begins May 23 in Avon.
Friday
The Bobcats entered the series on a six-game losing streak, and that streak continued in the first game of the series. Ohio lost 7-6 against the Broncos, allowing the go-ahead run in the ninth inning.
Gerry Salisbury got the start, allowing four earned runs in 4 2/3 innings of work. Salisbury threw four of the team’s six strikeouts. Five other pitchers threw in the loss, and the Bobcats’ pitching staff gave up 12 hits.
Ohio was down 5-3 heading into the seventh inning. Rudy Rott hit a two-run home run in the third, and Tony Giannini hit an RBI single to drive in Tanner Piechnick for a run in the sixth. The Bobcats scored three runs in the seventh, as Rott hit an RBI single to drive in Sebastian Fabik for the first run of the inning.
After Rott’s RBI, Piechnick reached on a fielder’s choice to drive in Trevor Hafner. Rott scored the final run of the inning as Giannini reached on a fielder’s choice.
The Bobcats led 6-5 heading into the eighth inning, but they lost the lead as they gave up two runs in the eighth and ninth innings. Ohio finished the game with eight hits; Rott and Devon Garcia led the team in hits with two each.
Saturday
The Bobcats snapped their seven-game losing streak with a 10-7 win to even the series. Ohio’s 10 runs were the most it has scored since tallying 15 on April 6 at Toledo.
Michael Klein got the start and picked up his fourth win of the season. Klein allowed three earned runs and seven hits over five innings. Eddie Kutt and Kenny Ogg also pitched. Kutt earned his second save of the season.
Ohio was down 4-2 heading into the fifth inning, but it scored five runs in the fifth to take a 7-4 lead.
Evan Bourn hit a three-run home run in the inning for his third of the season. The Bobcats scored two more runs in the sixth, but the Broncos stormed back with a three-run seventh.
The Bobcats led 9-7 heading into the eighth inning, and Rott hit a home run to left field to extend Ohio’s lead. Rott hit two home runs in this series, and he leads the Bobcats with 15 home runs on the season. Ohio tallied 13 hits Saturday, and Rott and Ryan Sargent led the team with three each.
Sunday
The Bobcats gave up five runs in the seventh inning, losing 10-6 against the Broncos in the series’ rubber match.
Derek Carr got the start on the mound for his fifth start of the season. Carr gave up two earned runs and five hits in 2 2/3 innings of work. Six other pitchers threw for the Bobcats; the pitching staff gave up 14 hits.
Ohio led 6-4 heading into the seventh inning, and it scored four of its runs in the first. Piechnick hit a three-run home run in the first inning, and Giannini hit an RBI triple to left center that brought in Klein for a run. Piechnick’s home run was his eighth of the season.
The seventh inning was where the game was lost for Ohio. The Bobcats gave up five runs, and they could never recover. The Broncos scored another run in the ninth to increase the lead to 10-6.
The Bobcats finished the game with seven hits, the fewest of the series. Piechnick led the team with two hits and three RBIs.
