OU/Kent State Game Two

The second game of the Bobcats-Golden Flashes series in Kent, Ohio, went the way of KSU, but not until the game was nearly over.

Ohio pushed across 4 runs in the top of the 3rd inning to take a 4-0 lead. The scoring was highlighted by Jeramy Rehak's RBI double down the left-field line. Rehak has been having himself a great series -- he went 3-3 on Friday with a walk and had a similar day going on Saturday when he drilled the two-run double.

Kent State finally woke up the bats and started to figure out Ohio starter Zach Elmer. Bobcats Head Coach Joe Carbone said in the post-game interview that Ohio pitching was falling behind in counts all day long and Elmer was only part of the "problem."

With a 5-4 lead through 7 1/2 innings, Carbone sent pitcher Matt Schlarb into the game for Kevin Mementowski (we relieved Elmer). Schlarb gave up a lead-off walk to start the bottom of the 8th, then fell behind 3-1 in the count to Golden Flashes clean-up hitter Greg Rohan. Rohan proceeded to smack his second home run of the day -- a two-run bomb to left that was the game-winner in a final score 6-5 ball game.

All in all, Kent State had 4 homers on the day -- 2 by Rohan, 1 by lead-off hitter Chris Tremblay, then another by center-fielder Jared Humphreys. It had to be a bittersweet moment for Humphreys, a Jackson High School graduate who didn't get looks to play for Carbone in Athens, about a 45 minutes drive from Jackson, Ohio. Humphreys is in his third year with Kent, something I know only because I worked for WOUB-TV's Gridiron Glory show for 3 years, including the season in which Humphreys was named a GG Player of the Year finalist. In fact, Humphreys even has gone back to Athens in the past and played summer ball with the Southern Ohio Copperheads at Bob Wren Stadium.

It was an interesting day for Ohio, to say the least. Tomorrow's rubber match proves to be huge as the winner grabs the top record in the East Division and an all-important conference victory as the season gets near the end.

Sunday's action is at 1 p.m. and you can listen (in Athens) to WATH on 970 AM. I think there's a link online to listen to the game as well on ohiobobcats.com, though I haven't been able to get the link working in awhile. I'm hoping to post some of the highlights from the games up on this site next week sometime.

Until then, Go Bobcats!! and you can listen to me on 970 WATH and the Citizens Bank Ohio Bobcats Sports Network.