Bobcats Win Another Pair
After a cold and snowy Ohio Friday postponed the home double header Vs Owens College Friday, The Bobcats jumped in the vans and played their first OCCAC action on the road at Lakeland taking both ends of the double header 10-7 and 9-6. The Bobcat bats were hot today as they would score in 9 of the 14 innings played and record 25 hits on the day. Christian Boyles finished the day 7-10 at the plate with 2 doubles, a homerun, 4 RBIs and 6 runs scored. Jackson Homage was 4-8 with a triple, 3 RBI's, and 3 runs scored. John Costella was 4-9 with a homerun 5 RBIs and a run scored.
Game 1
Lakeland jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first capitalizing on 3 free passes and a few well placed singles off of Bobcat starting pitcher Adam Wibert who would get out of the inning by striking out the side. Lakeland starter Mitchell Cormeia held the Bobcat bats back first time through the order as he wouldn't surrender a hit and struck out six. Christian Boyles would quickly put an end to the no hit bid when he he would send the first pitch he saw in his second at bat high over the wall in left center for his third round tripper of the season. A Logan Wunderle walk and John Costella single would give the Bobcats another run and they would cut the lead 3-2 going into the bottom of the third. The Lakers would add a run in the bottom half of the inning off of a pair of dropped third strikes that led to baserunners and a RBI double off the bat of Caleb Peck to make the score 4-2. Boyles would deliver once again in the top of the 4th singling up the middle with two outs to score Dylan Cutler. Justin Simons would enter the game in place of Wibert in the 4th and work the next three innings surrendering 3 runs on 4 hits while striking out 3. The Bobcats offense would rally in the top of the 5th when Jackson Homage would dig in with one out and bases loaded. Homage would send Cormeia's two strike pitch into left center driving in Domonic Daring, Torrey Roper, and Dylan Cutler. Bryce Daniels would follow the triple with a single up the middle to bring Homage in from third. The game would go to the bottom of the 5th with the Bobcats taking their first lead of the game 7-4. The Lakers would answer in the bottom half of the inning on the Peck 2 run homerun to center, and tie it up in the bottom of the 6th on a 2 out pop fly that got caught in the wind and allowed a runner to score from second. The Bobcats would rally for three runs in the top of the 7th and then turn the ball over to Brad Wolfe who would work a clean 7th, Bobcats win 10-7.
Game 2
John Costella would put the Bobcats on the board with a 3 run blast in the 1st scoring Boyles and Logan Wunderle. The Lakers would fight back in the bottom of the inning when Derik Diaz would hit the first pitch he saw over the fence for a solo shot. Bobcat starter Jagger Jefferis would work around some traffic on the basepaths to get out of the 1st having only surrendered the 1 run leaving the score at 3-1 Bobcats. The Bobcats would tack on 3 more in the top of the second when Jackson Homage would come around to score on another Boyles single, who would later score on the Logan Wunderle two run home run to left to make the score 6-1 Bobcats. An Aaron Miranda sacrifice fly in the third would stretch the score to 7-1, but Derik Diaz would get Jefferis again on a solo shot to left in the bottom half of the inning to cut the lead back to 5, 7-2 Bobcats. Christian Boyles would hit his way on for the 3rd time this game in the 4th and be brought home by a Costella double to center to put the Bobcat lead back to 6. Jefferis would turn the ball over to the pen in the 4th after allowing 2 runs on two hits and 4 walks while striking out 3. The Lakers would take advantage of the pitching change plating 2 in the inning before Alex Tackett entered the game and induced a double play ball and ground out to end the threat. Bobcats lead 8-4 in the top of the 5th. The Lakers would cut further into the lead in the bottom of the 5th when two walks and a jake Case single would bring the tying run to the plate for the Lakers, but Antonio Arroyo would enter from the Bobcat pen and induce a pop out to once again put an end to the Lakers scoring opportunity. A Tylor Wolfe triple off the center field wall in the 6th would score Christian Boyles who started the inning with a double, his 4 hit of the game, to give the Bobcats a little more breathing room with the score of 9-5. Arroyo would work around a few walks to put up a clean 6th frame before turning the ball over to Boyles in the 7th. Boyles would surrender 1 unearned run oon no hits and two walks while striking out 2 to earn the save for the day.
The pair of wins on the day moves the Bobcats record to 9-5 overall, 4-0 in OCCAC play. A mark that is good for first place. They will be back in action against Lakeland Tuesday in a non-conference doubleheader at Cisar field in Solon Community park at 1 and 3. Those games can be watched on our livestream by clicking the "watch" tab in the navbar above.