Peterson’s Home Run Lifts Ohio Baseball to Four-Game Sweep of Eastern Michigan

On Apr 11, 2021

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ATHENS, Ohio — A two-run home run over the left field wall in the seventh inning by senior center fielder Isaiah Peterson (Lincoln, Neb.) lifted the Ohio baseball team (15-11, 9-7 MAC) to a 3-2 comeback win over Eastern Michigan (8-17, 4-12 MAC) on Sunday (April 11) at Bob Wren Stadium. The victory sealed a four-game Mid-American Conference weekend series sweep of the Eagles by the Bobcats.

Trailing 2-1 going into the home half of the seventh, redshirt junior right fielder Spencer Harbert (Middletown, Del.) drew a leadoff walk to get the rally started. Two outs later, Peterson delivered what proved to be the game winning homer.

The Eagles threatened in the top of the ensuing frame by loading up the bases with just one out after three batters were hit by pitches. Ohio called upon senior left-handed relief pitcher Brett Manis (Port Huron, Mich.) to get out of the jam, and he did just that by inducing a force out at home plate for the second out and then registering a strikeout to end the threat.

Ohio looked to add on to its lead in the bottom of the eighth but wound up stranding a pair of runners. Manis secured the win for the Bobcats and his fourth save of the season, though, by retiring the side courtesy of back-to-back strikeouts that were followed by a ground out to end the game.

For the fourth game in a row, Eastern Michigan scored the game’s first run as the Eagles got on the board in the third by way of a two-out solo home run. Ohio answered in the fourth when graduate student third baseman Harry Witwer-Dukes (Monmouth, Ore.) hit a one-out single to left center and then scored the tying run on a double to left by junior catcher Mason Minzey (Grand Blanc, Mich.).

The Eagles retook the lead in the fifth on a leadoff home run, but Ohio rallied to pick up its first four-game MAC series sweep since 2002.

Four of the first five hitters in Ohio’s batting order accounted for eight of the team’s nine hits. Witwer-Dukes led the way with a 3-for-4 effort while Peterson tripled in addition to his go-ahead home run. Senior left fielder Sebastian Fabik (Lebanon, Ohio) finished the contest 2-for-4.

Senior right-handed reliever Chace Harris (New Marshfield, Ohio) was credited with the pitching victory, tossing 2.2 innings without allowing a hit or a walk while striking out three. Sophomore left-hander Jacob Tate (Louisville, Tenn.) started the game on the mound for the Bobcats, pitching the first 4.2 frames. He struck out two while permitting two earned runs on seven hits and two walks.

Ohio will look to keep it rolling when it visits DeKalb, Ill., to take on Northern Illinois next weekend in a four-game MAC set. The series is scheduled to get underway on Friday (April 16), with game one scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. ET.

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