Pitching staff helps end 2-game skid

The league-leading Bobcats knocked off the rust Friday with a tight 2-1 win at Fulton after dropping two straight games following a five-day layoff.

Edwards

Marion's pitching staff came to the rescue of a struggling offense that has been outscored 12-5 in the last three contests. Starter Andrew Edwards moved his record to 2-0 with a one-run, three-hit effort in 6 1/3 innings. The bullpen, as it has regularly this year, continued to keep Fulton's hitters mystified, allowing only one hit the rest of the way.

Closer Matt Vollenwieder pitched the ninth to hold the 2-1 lead and pick up his eighth save of the season, tying his manager's old team record. Kyle Medley, the rookie manager of the Bobcats, set the saves record in 2008, Marion's debut season. Though one of Vollenweider's saves came in interleague play and is not reflected in Ohio Valley League stats, he is still atop all other closers with seven league saves.

On any other night, Fulton's B.J. Sieverding (1-2) would have probably walked away with a win after throwing eight innings of two-run ball. But one of the five hits he allowed gave Marion's Caleb Eickhoff a two-RBI single in the fourth, giving the Bobcats all they would need to split the two-game series with Fulton and hand Sieverding the loss.

The Railroaders' only score came in the home half of the sixth when hot-hitting Kahtan Al-Kaissy contributed an RBI single. Al-Kaissy was 5-for-7 with four RBI in the series with Bobcats.

Marion's offense managed as many walks as hits against Fulton. Cody Kottich reached base three times in four trips to the plate with two walks and a hit. Desmond Roberts also drew two walks. Eickhoff struggled on the night with three strikeouts, but made the only time he put the ball in play count with the game-winning hit. Also adding hits—all singles—were A.J. Dokey, Kyle Vander Ark and Joey Xavier.

Meantime, Cody Schmitt, who leads the team with a .311 average, was 0-for-3.

The win moved Marion to 10-5 (11-6 overall), preserving a 2.5-game cushion over Tradewater heading into a three-game series with the Pirates. The Bobcats are now 4-2 against the Railroaders in 2011, more wins than the team has amassed in any season against the Fulton team.

Fulton dropped to 6-10, behind Owensboro and Tradewater in chasing Marion for the first-ever Ohio Valley League title.

Click here for box score.

Tradewater 7, Owensboro 2
Tradewater (8-8) traded places with Owensboro (7-8) in the league standings Friday, moving into second with a 7-2 win at Riverside Park.