Ohio vs. Otterbein

I think I can say with some certainty this time that this is my last Ohio baseball story. They have a three-game set against Miami this weekend, but the regular reporter usually does the MAC games. I do get to cover a D-IV first round sectional game for the Ohio high school baseball tournament on Monday. It's between Trimble and Southern Galia at Trimble. I'm looking forward to covering my first high school tournament game. Well I'm at the library now because my laptop is in the shop so I want to make this short. Here's the recap...


Bobcats get offense going in 13-9 win

NICK BROCKMAN
Special to The Messenger

After a weekend in which Ohio struggled offensively and slipped in the Mid-American Conference standings, the Bobcats got back on track against the Division III Otterbein Cardinals.

Ohio scored just 11 runs in three losses to Bowling Green over the weekend, but the 'Cats blasted four home runs en route to a 13-9 victory on Tuesday night over Otterbein.

Ohio coach Joe Carbone started four freshman position players including Gauntlett Eldemire and Zach Keen, who each hit a three-run homer.

Although the four starters (Eldemire, Keen, Robert Maddox III and Trace Voshell) hit 9-for-15 on the night, Carbone said he did not want to give out any praise just yet to his freshman.

"I tell them they'll all be freshman until they're seniors," Carbone said. "You know me, I don't give anybody credit."

Carbone relented, however, and said each has shown much promise over the season.

"We're playing them because they are our future we think, we feel they can play," Carbone said. "Those guys are getting better all the time...I'm very proud of how they've developed."

On the mound starter Zach Fairbanks, a junior, benefited from his younger teammates' production at the plate. Fairbanks helped to end the team's seven-game losing streak and threw seven innings while allowing five runs for the win.

"I was feeling real comfortable, all my pitches were moving and I felt like my velocity was pretty good," Fairbanks said.

Fairbanks cruised through the first five innings until the sixth inning when he faced the Otterbein lineup for the third time.

"In the sixth inning I actually felt the best in warm-ups," Fairbanks said, "and then they just came up and put some balls in play. Coming through the third time in the lineup they're just seeing me (better) so that's basically what happened."

Pitcher Kurt Smith tossed a scoreless eighth inning, but Smith and Mike Babin surrendered four runs combined during the ninth inning before Matt Schlarb shut things down.

Luckily for Ohio's pitchers the brief bullpen lapse did not threaten the Ohio lead because of its 13 runs. Shortstop Brandon Besl began the offensive onslaught in the first inning when he hit a two-run home run to left field. Eldemire hit a RBI single two batters later to take a 3-0 Ohio lead.

The 'Cats struck again in the third inning for five more runs and sent nine batters to the plate. Keen provided the shot of the inning when he sent a 1-1 pitch over the left field wall for a three-run home run.

Eldemire's three-run homer came in the bottom of the sixth inning after the Cardinals had just scored three runs to make it an 8-4 game. Eldemire finished 3-for-5 with a career-high five RBIs; he was a triple shy of the cycle.

Eldemire said the home run came as a result of taking note how pitchers have been approaching him lately.

"For the past couple games they have been trying to get me outside so I was looking outside," Eldemire said. "He threw it right there so I swung and actually connected with the ball."

Bobcat Marc Krauss finished the scoring for Ohio in the seventh inning when he hit a no-doubt, two-run home run to right field to take a 13-5 lead.

With the win Ohio improves to 21-27 on the season. The Bobcats will look to continue their winning ways 4 p.m. today when John Angelicchi takes the mound for Ohio at Dayton.