March 2, 2003
FURMAN FALLS TO OHIO 2-1
Greenville, S.C.-- Chris Bova pitched a complete game, allowing only three hits and overcoming five balks as Ohio defeated Furman 2-1 Sunday afternoon at Furman Baseball Stadium.
The Paladins began the scoring in the bottom of the first inning after Clint Hill led-off with a single. Hill then advanced to second on a balk and later scored on a balk, giving Furman a 1-0 lead.
In the third inning, the Bobcats got all the runs they needed, scoring two runs off two hits and an error. Jason Shockey doubled down the left field line and Phil Sabatini then reached on an error by the shortstop, giving Ohio runners on first and second. Adam Fox followed with a pop-up to centerfield, which allowed Shockey to score and tie the game at 1-1. Rob Shrawder later singled off starter Tom Mastny, plating Sabatini to give the Bobcats a 2-1 lead.
Over the next four innings, Bova kept the Paladins at bay, at one point retiring nine batters in a row. Mastny (2-2) was equally impressive, retiring tweleve batters in a row from the fifth inning until the ninth inning.
Furman had a chance to tie the game in the eighth inning when A.J. Davidiuk reached on a fielder's choice and then advanced to third on two straight balks. Hovever, Bova (1-0) forced Hill to ground-out to end the inning.
Hill led the Paladins at the plate, garnering two of the three hits Bova allowed. Shockey led the Bobcats, going 2-for-3 with a run scored. With the win Ohio improves to 2-4 on the season, while Furman drops to 7-3.
Furman returns to action on Tuesday in an exhibition game slated to start at 4:00 p.m. against Chukyo University from Japan. The Paladins then go on to face nationally-ranked South Carolina on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. in Columbia.