Ninth-inning rally falls short, baseball falls to Ohio in home opener
The Ohio bench celebrates after a multi-run inning against Central Michigan Friday. The Bobcats defeated the Chippewas in the first game of the weekend series, 6-4.
A double from junior outfielder Logan Regnier, followed by an error and a bunt single put Central Michigan baseball in prime position Friday to make a comeback with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning, down 6-4.
But the three runners would be stranded, giving the Chippewas 13 total runners left on base and Ohio University the victory Friday in game one of the three-game series.
“We did have enough opportunities to get it done today, we just didn’t get it done,” said Head Coach Steve Jaksa. “We just needed a base knock here and there. Tomorrow we’ll look to get that.”
Ohio broke a 1-1 tie in the top of the fifth inning with a two-run double to the warning track. The ball sailed just past the outstretched arm of junior outfielder Ryan Heeke, who collided with the wall.
The Bobcats would add one more later in the fifth, in what would be the only multi-run inning for either team Friday.
“They got a bases loaded knock and that was the big one,” Jaksa said. “If you turn that around and we get that, then we have more runs than they do. It came down to that one play.”
The Bobcats entered Friday 12th in the nation with 7.7 runs scored per game.
Ohio scored its first run in the third inning due to a pair of Chippewa errors on the same play. After freshman short stop Zach McKinstry’s diving catch, he rolled the ball to the mound as if the inning had ended.
Sophomore first baseman Alex Borglin attempted to throw out the Bobcat runner at third, but threw the ball into the Chippewa dugout, allowing Ohio to score. Despite the defensive miscue, McKinstry and Borglin had three of CMU’s 10 hits Friday and each collected an RBI.
Nick Deeg took the loss for CMU (3-2, 2.50 ERA).
Freshman pitcher Pat Leatherman (2-0, 2.55 ERA) will pitch for the Chippewas in tomorrow’s game, starting at 2:05 p.m. at Theunissen Stadium.
