March 2, 2001
FURMAN-OHIO SPLIT FRIDAY BASEBALL DOUBLEHEADER;
PALADINS OFF TO BEST START SINCE 1974
GREENVILLE -- Brandon Barrett's RBI single with one out in the bottom of 11th inning lifted Furman to an 8-7 win and doubleheader split with visiting Ohio on Friday after the Bobcats captured the first game 15-1.
Now 11-5 on the season, Furman sports its best record after 16 games since 1974. Ohio is now 2-2 on the 2001 campaign.
In game one, Chuck Lombardy homered and drove in four runs to headline an 18-hit Ohio attack.
The Bobcats jumped on top with a seven-run first inning, highlighted by Lombardy's three run home run and solo blast by Andrew See of Furman starter Tom Mastny (1-2).
Ohio stretched its lead to 9-0 in the third on RBI doubles by Tony Gandee and Ryan Kyes, and then maintained control of the contest behind the effective pitching of Walt Novosel (1-1), who scattered 10 hits and stranded 15 Furman baserunners in 8.0 innings of work.
In the second game Ohio's Greg Meyer's pinch hit home run in the in the eighth inning off Rob Purvis tied the game at 7-7, forcing extra innings.
In the bottom of 11th with one out, Furman's Ryan Presnell reached on an error by Ohio third baseman Adam Fox and advanced to second on a single by Dominic Frankey off Bobcat reliever Andrew See (0-1). Presnell then advanced to third on a passed ball by Jeremy Johnson and came home with the game winning run on Barrett's line drive single to right field.
"I thought we battled back well after getting down early in the (second) game, especially after getting beaten so soundly in the first game," said Furman head coach Ron Smith. "We got good pitching from Jeff Stovall, Rob Purvis, and Danny Rueckel, and we played pretty good defense and got a good team victory."
Danny Rueckel (2-0) pitched 3.0 innings of no-hit ball and struck out four to gain the win for Furman in game two.
Furman and Ohio play the final game of the three-game series on Saturday beginning at 1:00 p.m.