Ohio Baseball Takes Game One of the MAC Tournament
KENT, Ohio (May 17, 2000) -- The Ohio University Bobcats used crafty pitching and a late-inning power
surge to defeat the Ball State University Cardinals 5-2 in the first game of the Mid-American Conference Baseball
Tournament Wednesday at Gene Michael Field in Kent, Ohio.
Ohio senior and MAC Pitcher of the Year Anthony Schiml picked improving his record to 9-2 on the season. He
went the distance while giving up two runs, one earned, and seven hits. Schiml struck out eight Cardinals, including
the last two batters in the seventh.
"I felt pretty good today, especially coming off of three days rest," Schiml said.
"He was outstanding, you can't argue with that," Ball State head coach Rich Maloney said. "We knew we were in
for a tough game. We just didn't execute when we needed to."
Ohio (30-23-1) started the scoring in the second inning. After a walk to first baseman Chuck Lombardy and a
strikeout to third baseman Jeff Rook, catcher Jeremy Johnson hit an RBI double to left field, scoring Lombardy. Ball
State (32-22) answered in the bottom half of the inning as rightfielder Jimmy Long doubled to left scoring catcher
Doug Boone. The run was unearned after an error on a foul ball by Ohio second baseman Ryan Kyes.
The Bobcats scored an unearned run in the third after Lombardy singled, advanced to second on a passed ball and
scored on a Kyes groundout. Ohio added insurance runs in the sixth inning with a two-run home run to left field by Rook,
his 16th of the season, and a solo shot by shortstop Brian Wingfield, his fifth of the season.
"I just tried to trace the ball," Rook said. "I was just looking to put the ball into play. Bryan (Bullington)
had good stuff out there."
Ball State scored in the sixth on an RBI single by third baseman Paul Henry, but left the bases loaded as Long fouled
out and center fielder Scott French struck out.
The loss goes to Ball State freshman Bryan Bullington. Bullington went 6 1/3 innings, giving up five runs, four earned
and seven hits. Bullington struck out nine Bobcats batters, while only walking two.
Ohio will play Thursday versus the winner of the Central Michigan-Miami game at 4 p.m. Ball State tries to avoid
elimination Thursday versus the winner of the Kent-Northern Illinois game at 1 p.m.
