Costly defensive errors and low offensive production early in the game led to the Bobcat baseball team’s demise as the Cincinnati Bearcats dealt Ohio its fourth straight loss.
Ohio (8-13) fell behind early and played from behind the entire game as Cincinnati (17-10) won, 11-8.
“We need to hit earlier on in the game,” infielder Jon Vondrell said, “And not give up so many runs because that makes it tough in the late innings.”
The visiting Bearcats took advantage of the error-prone Bobcats, taking a 5-0 advantage after their first three at-bats. Ohio allowed only four hits in the first three frames, but two key errors allowed Cincinnati to mount rallies.
Ohio starter Kurt Smith left in the third as Cincinnati sent 10 batters to the plate and relievers Dan Utts and Matt Schlarb came in an attempt to stifle the Bearcat onslaught.
“We kind of shoot ourselves in the foot early in the game all the time,” Ohio coach Joe Carbone said.
Three straight walks loaded the bases to begin the fourth as Cincinnati tacked on three more runs before reliever Yale Silverman entered with the bases full to record three straight outs for Ohio.
“I was throwing the ball pretty well today,” Silverman said. “That’s just something you got to be able to do as a relief pitcher. You got to be able to come in, and wherever the guys are try and get them out.”
However, the Bearcats managed to push across a lone run in the following inning off Silverman.
The Bobcat bats were silenced, held scoreless into the fifth inning, until the back-to-back singles by Willie Walker and Brandon Besl began the inning. Catcher Jason Selhorst followed by grounding into a double play, but the contact allowed Walker to score and putting Ohio on the board but still with a sizeable hole to dig out of, down, 9-1.
Infielder Hayden Johnston launched a RBI triple sending Dusty Hammond around from first. After two outs Vondrell singled to left for his second hit of the day, cutting the deficit to 9-3.
Cincinnati added two more runs to their lead over the final three frames, but Ohio made a desperate comeback attempt in the bottom of the ninth.
Six straight Bobcats reached base to lead off the inning, bringing hopes of a miraculous comeback, but three consecutive outs ended the game and the Ohio five-run rally.
“We started to swing the bat real well at the end, but it was a little too late,” Vondrell said.
Ohio returns to conference action 3 p.m. Friday when they visit Mid-American Conference West Division leader Ball State for the first of a three-game weekend series.
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