May 9, 2008

ATHENS, Ohio - The Ohio baseball team's series opener on Friday against Miami has been suspended after seven innings due to rain, with the Bobcats holding a 6-5 lead. The game will resume Saturday at 1 p.m. at Bob Wren Stadium. Following the conclusion of that game, the Bobcats will continue the series with a doubleheader.

Following the first game of the doubleheader, the Bobcats will pay tribute to the 1968 MAC Champion Ohio Baseball team and honor this year's senior class.

Miami jumped on the scoreboard first in the top of the second inning on a two-RBI double by Kyle Weldon, giving Miami a 2-0 lead. The Bobcats brought their first runs across the board in the bottom of the fourth inning on sophomore Marc Krauss' (Deshler, Ohio) three-run blast over the right field wall, putting Ohio in front 3-2.

In the top of the fifth inning, Josh Hula tied the game up for the RedHawks at 3-3 with a solo-home run to left field.

Senior Jason Selhorst (Ottawa, Ohio) then doubled to lead off the sixth inning, before being brought across the plate by freshman Robert Maddox III (Euclid, Ohio) on a single to center field, giving Ohio a brief 4-3 lead.

Miami continued the back and fourth battle in the seventh inning with a two-run homer over the center field wall by Jordan Petraitis, lifting the RedHawks back into a 5-4 advantage.

As the rain began to fall in the bottom half of the seventh inning, Ohio struck the final blow. Senior Matt Stiffler (Bellbrook, Ohio) connected on his team-leading sixth triple of the season to score freshman Zach Keen (Beavercreek, Ohio) to tie the game, 5-5. Then junior Brandon Besl (Cincinnati, Ohio) hit an RBI-single, giving the Bobcats a 6-5 lead, before play was suspended.

Junior right-hander Chris Rigo (Westlake, Ohio) got the start for the Bobcats, going 6.2 innings, giving up five runs, four earned, on eight hits, while striking out one.

Miami's Matt Erwood worked 6.1 innings, allowing five runs on nine hits while striking out three.