Brite Shines in Bobcat Victory

The Bobcats split their first series against the Edison State Chargers, dropping game 1 7-5 before rallying to win game 2 7-0. Offensively, Domonic Prevesk, Ryan Horstman, and Logan Wunderle all had 3 hit days. Noah Brite was excellent once again for the Bobcats throwing 6 shutout innings and earning the game 2 victory, his second of the season. With his second excellent start in a row Noah Brite has lowered his season ERA to a mind boggling 0.551, and he moves into a 3 three tie for the team lead in strikeouts with 22. Brite hasn't allowed a run in his last 11 innings, allowing just 2 hits while striking out 17 batters. 

Game 1

Tyler Schlick has been lights out for the Bobcats all season, but he just didn't have his stuff to start day 1 as he struggled to find the strike zone from the get go. Schlick, who entered having allowed 1 earned run all season, got in trouble immediately, walking the Edison state leadoff man and then plunking the next batter to put two runners on. A double by the three hitter Mason Mochabee would drive in two, a walk and a rbi single followed by a fielding error would end the day for Schlick. He surrendered 4 runs (3 earned) on 2 hits and 2 walks before retiring a batter. Kade Compeau came out of the bullpen and did an admirable job working out of the inning. Kade would walk the lead off man, but his catcher Blake Fuller would erase the runner as he tried to steal second base for the first out of the inning. Kade would then strike out the next hitter for out number and induce a flyout to work out of the inning without allowing anymore runs to score. Bobcats trail 4-0 midway through the 1st. The Chargers would expand their lead to 6-0 in the 2nd inning on 3 singles and walk before Kompeau was able to work out of the inning with another strike out and a double play ball.  Connor Lovejoy would enter for the Bobcats in the third and give his best effort of the season, tossing the next 5 innings allowing just 1 run (0 earned) on 3 hits and a walk while striking out 4 batters. He matched Chargers starter Jaren Slusher as Slusher was able to keep the potent Bobcat bats at bay for the first 3 innings before they were able to take advantage of a pair of free base runners in the 4th when Horstman doubled to score Tylor Wolfe and Drew Firchau and Wunderle singled to drive in Horstman to make the score 7-3. The Bobcats would add 2 more in the fifth when John Costella doubled down the field line to drive in Rontrell Greer and Dom Prevesk to make the score 7-5, and that is where the score would remain. Lovejoy would quiet the Chargers offense tossing up 4 0s in his 5 innings of work, and the Bobcats would threaten in the 7th putting two runners on with 2 outs, but the howling cross wind knocked down a Tylor Wolfe hard flyball left to end the Bobcat threat, and their 8 game winning streak as they drop the opener 7-5. 

Game 2

 Tylor Wolfe would get his revenge as he got a chance to bat again in the bottom of first inning and put the Bobcats on the board with a RBI hustle single. A bases loaded walk to Drew Firchau would send another Bobcat home, and a Ryan Horstman missile into left for a double that would score 2 more to make the Bobcat lead 4-0 after one. Noah Brite would get 4 runs of support in the first inning, but he wouldn't need them as he was brilliant once again. Brite threw the first 6 innings of the ball game not allowing a hit until the 5th inning. He would finish the day allowing no runs on 1 hit and 4 walks while striking out 9 Charger batters. Ryan Horstman would add to the Bobcat lead with his first homerun of the season, another line shot into left field that hung up in the air long enough to clear the wall and make the Bobcat lead 5-0. Logan Wunderle would double a few innings later to score Horstman making the lead 6-0, and Alec Kolenic would score on a Rontrell Greer sacrifice fly to stretch the lead to 7–0. Austen Price would close the game down in the 7th working around a single to record another scoreless frame and complete the shutout. The Bobcats win 7-0. The Bobcats will be back in action this Saturday as they look to win the series at Edison State in Piqua, OH.