Zeke Isaacs gave the Bobcats a chance to end their nine-game losing streak, and they took full advantage of it.

Up 4-2 in the seventh, Marshall had one out and the bases loaded before Isaacs struck out two straight batters to keep Ohio’s comeback hopes alive.

“Our team really needed a little momentum,” Isaacs, who is 1-1 with a 5.17 ERA after yesterday’s win, said. “I just wanted to get the guys off the field and get ready to go hit so we could win the game.”

The Bobcats (10-15, 0-6 Mid-American Conference) made the right-hander’s clutch performance count as they scored six runs in the seventh to take a lead they would not relinquish on their way to a 9-6 win over the Thundering Herd (14-13) yesterday.

“I guess we got the monkey off our back a little bit,” coach Joe Carbone said after Ohio snapped its longest losing streak of the young season. “It wasn’t fancy, but it was a win.”

Three different Bobcat batters had multiple hits yesterday and seven scored runs as Ohio’s bats finally came to life after struggling to find consistency at the plate during the nine-game skid.

“We finally got up there, got aggressive and swung the bats the way we’re capable of doing,” Carbone said. “That’s what we need to do every inning is to be up there swinging.”

The success the Bobcats find when being aggressive at the plate is not lost on third baseman Brandon Besl, who led the Bobcats at the plate, going 4-for-5 with two doubles, two runs and two RBIs against Marshall.

“We were actually hitting the ball today,” Besl said. “I came in earlier because (assistant coach Scott Malinowski) and Carbone were telling me things yesterday that I needed to work on and it paid off.”

Starting pitcher Dan Weiss gave Ohio its first three-inning shutout start since March 24 against Northern Illinois before giving up two runs in both the fourth and fifth innings.

Carbone said Weiss pitched well considering the cold, windy conditions last night. The left-hander finished with four runs, three earned, off four hits in five innings pitched.

The Bobcats return to MAC play this weekend as Ball State visits Athens, and Isaacs said he hoped the win will lead to more success.

“It was nice to get through that drought,” Isaacs said. “It gives us a lot more confidence, so I think it will carry on through the weekend.”