Ohio State junior right-handed pitcher Garrett Burhenn (7) preparing to deliver a pitch in the Ohio State-Iowa game March 26. Ohio State won the game 8-2. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
After Game 1, it looked like it was going to be a long day for the Buckeyes, getting swept in the finale of the two-game mini-series against Nebraska (29-11) who clinched the Big Ten regular season title and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with its 9-0 victory.
Ohio State (20-18) had no easy task in the nightcap against Indiana (24-16), who entered play with the best pitching staff in the conference. They rebounded in the hour-and-a-half break between games, winning Game 2’s pitcher’s duel 3-1 behind junior right-hander Garrett Burhenn’s brilliance.
“Our guys have been playing with a lot of pressure on themselves, they’ve been playing not loose,” head coach Greg Beals said. “Playing with pressure is not working. We need to flip the switch and find whatever the internal drive is. That we need to find something internal –– that’s going to allow us to be our best.”
Game 1
The woes continued for the Buckeyes who found themselves in a 5-0 deficit after the first inning, extending Nebraska’s unanswered scoring to 14 runs since the seventh inning of Saturday’s game.
Five of the first seven Cornhusker hitters reached on base hits, hitting on the third pitch of the at-bat or less on four of those hits.
After a quiet second inning, Nebraska had its second leadoff hitter reach on a base hit as freshman third baseman Max Anderson sharply singled to left.
The next batter — freshman second baseman Brice Matthews — got jammed, as junior right-handed pitcher Will Pfennig’s pitch ran inside on the handle of his bat. It squeaked by the mound, slowly rolling to Ohio State junior shortstop Zach Dezenzo who threw it wide of redshirt senior first baseman Conner Pohl.
Anderson trotted into third, later scoring on a sacrifice fly out from senior designated hitter Gunner Hellstrom — his second RBI of the season.
With runners in scoring position, the Cornhuskers were 6-for-11 at the plate. Their offense distributed the wealth of run production as every starter except for senior outfielder Joe Acker recorded an RBI.
Nebraska senior center fielder Jaxon Hallmark hit his second home run in as many days against the Buckeyes in the fourth, adding another on an RBI single from senior first baseman Luke Roskam to extend the lead to 8-0.
Pfennig was roughed up for all of the Huskers’ first eight runs, surrendering 10 hits and only striking out one.
Ohio State’s offense was minimal in the front half of the doubleheader, logging just six baserunners on five hits.
The Buckeyes struggled in the first two innings against junior southpaw Kyle Perry, as redshirt senior designated hitter Brent Todys’ double to the gap in right-center field was the only hit they collected against him.
The Huskers’ starter — who was scheduled to only throw two innings because he was recovering from Tommy John surgery — got the Buckeyes on their heels when he fell behind in the count to only two of the seven hitters he faced.
Contrast to Nebraska’s 7-for-20 clip with runners on base and only one strikeout, Ohio State was 1-for-11 in that department, punching out 14 times.
Game 2
Burhenn has proven he can go deep into a ballgame, but his first career complete game Saturday showed his grit.
He came out for the ninth inning at 108 pitches and looked to have already seen the extent of his start with junior closer TJ Brock warming up.
The first batter he faced lined a comebacker off Burhenn’s head, and with his pitch count, he certainly could have exited, but showed to Beals that he was still good to go.
He struck out two of the final four Indiana hitters, capping off his 11-strikeout performance with a punch-out, doing a “Superman” move to expose the script “Ohio State” on his chest.
“Yeah, representing Ohio State. That one was for ‘Buckeye Nation,’ for our team right there, so that’s what I wanted to do after that win like that,” Burhenn said.
The Indianapolis native’s only earned run was propelled by a misfire in the first.
After a leadoff double from Indiana senior shortstop Jeremy Houston — his first of the season — a slow roller was hit up the middle to Dezenzo. He charged and attempted to make a throw on the run, but spiked it into Pohl who could not pick it out of the dirt as Houston trotted home.
Indiana looked to add on more runs, getting a single from junior third baseman Cole Barr who then stole second to set up two runners in scoring position and only one out.
Burhenn battled back by striking out the next two batters to keep the game at a manageable 1-0 deficit.
After the first, there was never more than one baserunner on the path at one time, ending his seven-inning start by retiring seven Hoosiers in a row.
Indiana sophomore righty Gabe Bierman picked up right where he left off against the Buckeyes from his first start against them.
Last time out, Bierman went seven innings, allowing only three hits and one unearned run. He was cruising through his first four innings of work and looked to replicate his last start until Ohio State tagged him for a pair of runs in the fifth.
Freshman Kade Kern — who was 1-for-6 on the day with five strikeouts entering the fifth — worked a six-pitch walk to get the offense going.
Junior third baseman Nick Erwin followed with a sharp line drive to left field and a Pohl hit-by-pitch loaded the bases two batters later.
Todys collected Ohio State’s first hit with a runner in scoring position in the two games Sunday and it couldn’t have come at a better time.
His hit took a high chop over Bierman’s head, skipping into center field out of reach of the middle infielders who were drawn in on the play to cut down the force play at the plate. Todys knocked in two runs on the play, giving Ohio State a 3-1 lead.
The Westerville, Ohio, native tied sophomore right fielder Mitchell Okuley for fourth on the team with 19 RBIs on the year.
“I was looking to drive something. I was looking not to get beat on that sinker, just kind of spit on the slider,” Todys said. “I was looking to get the sinker out in front and I still beat it in the ground, but luckily hit it hard enough to get it by him and get it through the infield.”
The Buckeyes tagged Bierman for their first run of the ballgame in the top of the second, as Pohl blasted a leadoff home run that cleared the bullpen in right-center field at Bart Kaufman Stadium.
The 235-pound lefty’s 13th home run of the year moved him into sole possession of second in the Big Ten in round-trippers.
Ohio State will look to sweep Indiana in the two-game pod series and split the four-game weekend. Senior left-hander Griffan Smith will make his second start of the year for the Buckeyes at 6 p.m. on the Big Ten Network.
