Buckeyes wore their rally caps
Right: My media credentials to the Big Ten baseball tournament before I dribbled penne pasta on it, getting a nice tomato sauce stain above my name. (Matt Barker Photo)
After spending the first day as a credentialed media representative, shaking hands with the likes WSYX’s Anthony Rothman while chatting it up the Dispatch’s Bob Hunter and Mark Znidar, most of it was actually spent watching college baseball. Three games in one day and the nightcap was a gem.
Nearly 5,000 fans made their way through the gates at Huntington Park as the top-seeded Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the fourth-seed Illinois Fighting Illini, 7-4, Thursday night.
Though chicks may dig the long ball, the Buckeyes won by playing small ball while getting some help from their bullpen.
The Buckeyes trailed 4-1 entering the home half of the sixth and scored a pair of runs after two infield singles and another base hit loaded the bases with no outs. Justin Miller followed with a sacrifice fly that plated Michael Stephens, and Michael Arp reached on fielder’s choice that brought home Dan Burkhart as Ohio State trimmed Illinois’ lead down to 4-3.
Following the seventh inning stretch with the Illini still clinging to a one-run advantage, Illinois’ starting pitcher Will Strack issued walks to the first two batters he faced before Cory Kovanda laid down a perfect bunt to fill the sacks full of Bucks for the second-straight frame.
Both Buckeye runs were scored without the aid of a hit as Matt Streng touched home on a groundout by Stephens, and Zach Hurley did the same after Ryan Dew’s smash was fielded by the first baseman for the unassisted putout, but Ohio State did take a 5-4 lead on the play.
The Buckeyes added two more insurance runs in the eighth to go ahead 7-4 after Arp was hit by a pitch, stole second, and scored on Streng’s RBI single two batters later. Hurley then drilled a triple to the deepest part of the park that brought Streng to the dish, but Hurley tried to stretch his hit into an inside-the-park home run and was cut down five feet short of the plate.
Co-Big Ten pitcher of the year Alex Wimmers was not his usual, dominant self, as he allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits with nine strikeouts and four walks in 6.1 innings of work.
Illinois took an 2-0 lead in the second after Dominic Altobelli reached on a fielding error by third baseman Miller, and Aaron Johnson followed the miscue with a two-run homer over the wall in left field.
The Illini went ahead 4-1 in their half of the sixth as Johnson added an RBI double, scoring Brandon Wikoff who reached on a walk, and Pete Cappetta tallied an RBI single that plated Johnson.
Buckeye relievers Drew Rucinski and Jake Hale slammed the door on the Illini, as both combined to throw 2.2 innings of shutout baseball in relief of Wimmers, allowing just one baserunner in the process while striking out three with no walks.
Rucinski earned the win, while Strack was handed the loss of after allowing five runs on 10 hits in six official innings.
The Buckeyes continue on in the winner’s bracket for a Friday night game scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET, taking on the Indiana Hoosiers, who defeated Minnesota, 12-3. IU starter Matt Bashore tossed seven shutout innings, allowing just two hits and two walks while striking out nine.
The OSU-IU game will be televised on the Big Ten Network, and can be heard in Columbus on 103.9 WTDA-FM, as well as live blogging on our front page.
