Bobcats get come-from-behind victory over Penguins

By Greg Gulas

sports@vindy.com

NILES

The Ohio University baseball team traveled 216 miles from Athens to Eastwood Field for Tuesday’s game with Youngstown State and registered just two hits in 27 at-bats.

They were all the hits the Bobcats needed for a 3-2, come-from-behind victory over the Penguins.

Trailing 2-1 in the eighth inning, Michael Richardson’s sacrifice fly scored Ryan Sargent with the tying run.

Ryan Strittmather scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch by YSU reliever Brandon Matthews for the Bobcats’ fourth consecutive win.

Penguins starter Jon Snyder went six innings, allowing just one run while striking out six batters.

“My fastball, slider and curve were working for me today,” Snyder said. “I’ve been inconsistent in the zone this season but today I felt really good.”

The Penguins (9-32) wasted no time getting on the board, taking the early 1-0 lead in the opening frame when Lucas Nasonti led off with a double, racing home on Jeff Wehler’s groundout.

“It’s not a very good feeling when you play good baseball and don’t come out on top,” Nasonti said. “Our pitching staff threw well today and that’s a good sign with the second half of Horizon League play upcoming.”

Five YSU pitchers combined to strike out nine Bobcats batters but yielded seven free passes.

“Jon [Snyder] had a quality start and this was a quality mid-week game,” Penguins head coach Dan Bertolini said. “We hit some balls right on the nose but made a couple mistakes and they made us pay for it.”

The Bobcats (14-24) knotted the game at a run apiece in the sixth inning when Sargent led off with a walk, was sacrificed to second by Strittmather and scored on Rudy Rott’s two-out double.

Both starters gave way to relievers in the seventh inning with Snyder yielding to Dalton Earich and Bobcats starter Joe Rock giving way to Matt Brosky.

Snyder threw 84 pitches — 53 for strikes — while Rock threw just 70 pitches before being lifted, giving up a run and striking out four Penguin batters without allowing a free pass.

Snyder has made four starts in 10 appearances, Before Tuesday, his best outing was against Kent State on April 3 when he went four innings, allowing two runs on three hits, striking out six while walking three.

Earich worked the seventh inning, allowing a walk to earn a hold before giving way to Matthews in the eighth inning.

Matthews, Brett Souder and Kip DeShields finished on the hill for YSU.

YSU cut the deficit to 3-2 in the eighth inning when Dylan Swarmer tripled with one away and scored on Cameron Murray’s groundout.

“I was just trying for a quality at-bat,” Swarmer said. “I wanted to get on base any way possible in order to get into scoring position.”

Swarmer and Nasonti combined for four of YSU’s five total hits.

YSU fell to 2-6 against Mid-American Conference schools this season.

Brosky picked up the win for Ohio.