Baseball: Ohio State susceptible to big innings, drop three of four games in Texas

Ohio State sophomore infielder Conner Pohl (39) takes a swing at a pitch in the fourth inning of the game against Ohio University in April 10. Ohio State won 4-0. Credit: Jack Westerheide | Photo Editor

Big innings and late lead changes left the Ohio State baseball team (5-3) with only one win in four tries in Texas.

BYU

A five-run third inning buried the Buckeyes and ended the team’s perfect 4-0 start to the season.

Ohio State (4-1) fell to BYU (4-2) by a score of 5-1 on Friday. The Cougars built an early five-run lead that proved insurmountable for a Buckeye offense that only tallied three hits.

Coming off of a nine-strikeout performance in the season opener, redshirt freshman Seth Lonsway only recorded seven outs in his second start of the season. Lonsway was relieved in the bottom of the third inning after allowing five runs.

Sophomore second baseman Jackson Cluff knocked in two of the five runs for the Cougars. Senior pitcher Jordan Wood picked up his first win of the season, as he went six innings with allowing only one run on three hits.

The silver lining for the Buckeyes was their relief pitching, which allowed no runs in more than five innings of work. Freshman pitcher Will Pfenning replaced Lonsway and went 3 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing four hits.

The Buckeye offense scored its only run in the sixth inning when senior second baseman Kobie Foppe knocked in senior center fielder Malik Jones on a sacrifice fly.

The five runs allowed nearly matched the six runs given up by the Buckeyes in the first four games of the season.

Texas A&M Corpus Christi Game 1

In a game defined by offense, it fittingly ended with the crack of a bat in the bottom of the ninth inning.

A two-run walk-off home run for the Islanders completed the four-run comeback against the Buckeyes on Saturday. With a final of 8-7, Ohio State (4-2) lost to Texas A&M Corpus Christi (4-4) in a thriller.

First baseman Luke Marbach provided the ninth-inning heroics, blasting the second home run of the game for the Islanders. Texas A&M Corpus Christi came into the game with no home runs, but the team delivered two longballs against Ohio State.

Ohio State jumped ahead 7-3 in the sixth inning. The Buckeyes’ offense was propelled forward by third-inning home runs from senior left fielder Brady Cherry and redshirt sophomore catcher Brent Todys.

Cherry ended the game with three RBIs, and freshman third baseman Zach Dezenzo added in two RBIs.

Freshman pitcher Garrett Burhenn allowed eight hits and three runs in the second start of his career. Junior pitcher Andrew Magno was given the loss, and sophomore pitcher John Gaddis picked up the victory.

Oral Roberts

Ohio State jumped ahead early and maintained the lead to secure their first and only win of the Kleberg Bank College Classic.

The Buckeyes (5-2) defeated Oral Roberts (3-3) by a score of 8-3 on Sunday. Junior right fielder Dominic Canzone supplied 4 RBIs in Ohio State’s best offensive showing of the season.

Canzone busted the game open in the bottom of the fourth inning with a three-run home run, his third of the season.

Sophomore pitcher Griffan Smith picked up his second win of the season, allowing only one run on three hits. Smith struck out five batters in five innings.

Isaac Coffey, freshman pitcher for the Golden Eagles, allowed six runs in the loss. Coffey is now 1-1 on the season.

Texas A&M Corpus Christi Game 2

Islanders came from behind to edge out the Buckeyes for the second time in three days.

Ohio State (5-3) allowed three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning in a 3-2 loss to Texas A&M Corpus Christi (5-4). Strong pitching dominated the day, but the Islanders were able to make the most of their opportunities.

A failed pickoff from freshman pitcher Bayden Root allowed senior center fielder Nick Anderson to score the tying run. Two sacrifice RBIs gave the Islanders a 3-1 lead.

The Buckeyes were able to score one run in the ninth inning, but two runners were stranded as the final out was recorded.

The Ohio State offense was only able to record two hits in the loss., one of which was a solo home run by freshman third baseman Zach Dezenzo.

Junior pitcher Jake Vance provided four scoreless innings for the Buckeyes. Root was given the loss in his one inning of work.

Ohio State travels to Daytona Beach, Florida for a four-game series against Bethune-Cookman. Game 1 starts at 7 p.m. Friday.