Baseball: Young talent propels Ohio to Saturday sweep

Ohio welcomed Canisius to town for a doubleheader Saturday. After winning the first game by a slim margin of 8-7, Ohio looked to complete the short weekend series on a good note. Luckily, with the help of a few freshman, Ohio accomplished that goal.

Hudson Boncal, a freshman from Corona, California, got the start for Ohio in game two. His strong start earned him his first collegiate victory and led Ohio to a win. After getting a six-run cushion in the bottom of the first inning, Boncal started to settle in.

“It sure takes the pressure off,” Boncal noted. “They got some early runs. The offense has always picked us up.”

Boncal exited the game after five innings of four hit, four run baseball with three of those runs being earned. He also added six strikeouts and only walked one batter. Boncal credited the coaching staff and senior leadership on helping him get to the point where he is now.

“My coaches have my back. They always go out there and tell me just to throw my stuff,” Boncal said. “I’m just trying to get outs, trusting my defense.”

Boncal wasn’t the only strong freshman on the mound for Ohio during game two, though. Zach Weber and Tyler Peck pitched an inning each and kept the lead in a comfortable spot. Ohio coach Craig Moore held praise for the mindset that the team is in and the current dynamic.

“(Team morale) is good,” Moore said. “Coming into today, taking a break from conference, it can be a little bit of a wall, but I didn’t feel that, I didn’t see that today.”

Ohio’s success this season has been between a strong mix of the young players with some experienced seniors. Moore also noted how much that mix has benefited the team.

“Our younger guys, there’s some talent in that class,” Moore said. “They just need to keep continuing to work and grow, and just gaining experience. If they can do that then they will continue to get better and better.”

Young talent not only helped the Bobcats on the mound, but at the plate, too. Redshirt freshman A.J. Rausch continued his solid year when he went three-for-five and had three RBIs in the second game.

“It’s great and especially hitting that home run early, starts off the game in the right way,” Rausch said. “Then to build off that, so it was big to get a good start.”

Ohio’s young talent has proven to be a key reason for the team’s success not only against Canisius, but also the whole season.

@officialelij