The Buckeyes baseball team huddles together in the outfield during the Ohio State-Northwestern game on May 30, 2021. Ohio State lost 2-8. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
The Buckeyes coupled their explosive offense with stingy pitching to defeat Marshall 14-2 in their home opener Monday.
Junior right-hander Wyatt Loncar tossed five scoreless innings and senior infielder Zach Dezenzo went 3-for-4 with five RBIs to help Ohio State (6-8) to victory. The two programs added the game to their schedules Sunday as both saw cancellations to their weekend finales.
“Fastball-slider combo. Feeling it with both and just was rolling,” Loncar said. “I just kept working with it.”
Dezenzo lifted the Buckeyes ahead first with a grand slam in the bottom of the second inning, bringing his season home run total to six.
Loncar tallied five strikeouts and as many hits allowed during his second start of the season. He allowed two runners to reach base in an inning just once all game, coming in his final frame of work.
Ohio State played its first nonconference game at home since defeating Wright State — which the Buckeyes will host March 22 — more than two seasons ago May 8, 2019. Head coach Greg Beals said scheduling a home game after Sunday’s nixed contest at West Virginia was something he jumped at after conversations with Marshall head coach Jeff Waggoner.
“It was great being back home,” Beals said. “I give credit to coach Waggoner over there at Marshall. He and I got together when the weather got bad on Saturday and tried to find a way to get a ballgame in for both of our clubs.”
Ohio State piled on four additional runs to make it an 8-0 game in the bottom of the fourth frame. Junior outfielder Mitchell Okuley and freshman infielder Tyler Pettorini each had RBI singles in the inning.
Senior infielder Marcus Ernst reached base in all five plate appearances, going 2-for-2 with three walks and as many runs scored.
“The grand slam in the second inning was big for us because it allowed our pitching staff, especially Wyatt, to settle into the ballgame,” Beals said. “Once we got the grand slam, he settled in and then allowed the offense to really take off.”
Marshall (10-6-1) junior right-hander Ryan Capuano allowed eight earned runs in three innings, striking out six while walking as many. Junior infielder Daniel Carinci and sophomore catcher Ryan Leitch had two hits apiece with the latter also scoring a run.
Junior outfielder Drew Steelhammer knocked a pinch-hit, two-run home run over the left field wall to erase the Buckeyes’ shutout attempt in the top of the eighth inning.
Senior left-hander and captain Griffan Smith made his season-debut in a scoreless seventh inning, picking up a strikeout and allowing a walk.
“Griff looked great, settled in,” Loncar said. “It was great to see him out there. Hope to see him more as the season goes on.”
Ohio State drew 10 walks against Marshall, led by Ernst’s trio of free passes and a pair taken by sophomore outfielder Hank Thomas.
The Buckeyes reached double-digit hit totals for the fourth-consecutive game as all but two starters had at least one base knock.
“I thought up and down the lineup we gave really good at-bats and we took pitches that we needed to take,” Beals said. “They were throwing a lot of stuff up there, trying to get us to chase. Our discipline up there at the plate was very good collectively.”
Ohio State travels to Wilmington, North Carolina, Wednesday to play the first of four games in five days against UNC Wilmington. First pitch between the Buckeyes and Seahawks is 6 p.m.
