Sports
Ohio, Marshall Baseball Game Cancelled
< < Back toThe Ohio Bobcats (8-26) and Marshall Thundering Herd (13-22) tried to play a game Tuesday night at Bob Wren Stadium, but Mother Nature wasn’t having it. The teams managed to get through two and one-thirds innings before frightening lightning rained it out.
Originally the delay was scheduled for half an hour, but an hour into the delay, as lightning continued to fill the sky and rain starred to pour down, the players and coaches left the field, equipment in hand. Still hoping to salvage the game the officials held off another half an hour before finally calling the game.
Because the teams didn’t make it into the fifth inning the no stats from the game will count and it will instead be considered a canceled game on the teams' schedules.
With clear blue skies and perfect baseball weather the action began shortly after 6 p.m.
Jake Miller started the game off by forcing Marshall’s leadoff hitter, center fielder Isaac Ballou, to groundout to first. But that was about the only good news for Miller in the inning. He gave up a single to the next batter, Aaron Bossi. Andrew Dundon followed that up with a hard hit groundball to Ohio second baseman Ben Otto for what should have been a 4-6-3 double play, but Otto overshot Dan Schmidt at the bag and both Herd runners were safe.
Miller coughed up a walk to right fielder Eric Escobedo to load the bases and was pulled in favor of left-hander Marck Paliotto with only one out in the top of the first. Paliotto struck out Chase Vogelbach and forced a groundout to Alfredo Brito to end the inning unscathed.
Ohio centerfielder Nick Squires lined out to lead off the bottom of the first but catcher J.R. Reynolds roped a single to the right-field corner, advancing to second on a misplay by Escobedo.
Madsen reached on a walk and Dan Schmidt shot the ball past a diving second baseman to bring in Reynolds. Escobedo misplayed the ball in right field again, for his second error on the inning, allowing Madsen to advance to third on the play.
Cody Gaertner struck out to give the ‘Cats two outs on the inning and in a curious base running mistake Schmidt took off from second getting stuck in a rundown. Attempting to capitalize on the distraction, Madsen took off for home, but the quick thinking Marshall shortstop fired the ball to the catcher who tagged Madsen out at home to end the inning.
Paliotto remained on the mound for the second inning giving up a leadoff double down the left field line to designated hitter Travis Myers. Two batters later Sergio Leon slapped a sacrifice grounder to first base driving in Myers before Paliotto forced another groundout to end the inning with the game tied up 1-1.
Unable to do anything in the bottom half of the second, Nick Plys took over for Paliotto on the mound to start the third inning. Plys struck out the first batter he faced but gave up a hard earned single to Dundon followed by a deep double to right-center field by Escobedo, advancing Dundon to third. Vogelbach drove in Dundon on a sacrifice groundout to put Marshall up 2-1.
Plys struck out Myers to end the inning but before the ‘Cats batters could step into the batter’s box the umpires were forced to send the game into a lightening delay as ominous clouds filled the sky above The Wren.
The two teams will get another shot at each other next Wednesday at 3 p.m. in Huntington, W.Va.
Next up for the ‘Cats is a three game home series against Northern Illinois (14-19, 9-3 MAC). The Huskies are currently in sole possession of first place in the Western division.