Ohio State continued its season in Columbus on Wednesday with an 8-2 win against Bowling Green. Credit: Zachary Rilley | Photo Editor
In the bottom of the fifth inning, sophomore outfielder Trey Lipsey strolled to the plate with a new walk-up song, “Armed and Dangerous” by Juice WRLD, blaring over the speakers at Bill Davis Stadium.
“I’m a superstitious guy when it comes to some things, so I needed to change the song,” Lipsey said.
A member of the Big Ten All-Freshman team in 2022, Lipsey had missed 12 games earlier this season due to injury and entered the at-bat 10-for-71 on the year.
With the count one ball and no strikes, Lipsey jolted a pitch from Bowling Green sophomore right-hander Landon Willeman over the right field fence for his second home run of the season.
“I believed I could see him coming,” head coach Bill Mosiello said. “That’s why I put him back in the leadoff spot, because for us to be the best team we can be is when he’s hitting in the leadoff spot.”
Lipsey’s second home run of the season was one of three in the game for Ohio State (17-15, 2-7 Big Ten), anchoring the Buckeyes to their second-straight win with an 8-2 victory over Bowling Green (11-18, 6-9 Mid-American Conference).
After freshman catcher Matthew Graveline hit an RBI triple and graduate catcher Cole Andrews grounded in a run in the bottom of the first inning, Lipsey and Andrews left Bill Davis Stadium in their next at-bats in the bottom of the fifth.
While Lipsey hit a two-run homer to right field, the former Miami Redhawk Andrews hit a solo home run, his eighth career RBI against the Falcons.
One half-inning later, freshman shortstop Henry Kaczmar crushed his fourth long ball in his last eight games for the Buckeyes’ seventh home run in the last two games.
While the Buckeyes offense has totaled 23 runs over the last two outings, the pitching had another dominant day.
After Ohio State held Akron to one run on Tuesday, junior right-hander Josh Timmerman and graduate right-hander Nolan Clegg took a no-hitter into the top of the seventh inning.
With the pressure of a midweek game on him, Timmerman earned his first career victory at the Division I level in his fourth start since transferring from Wabash Valley Community College.
Timmerman said he continues to improve his “consistent mentality” on the mound.
“I’ve had kind of some ups and downs,” Timmerman said. “Just attacking the zone, keeping that positive mindset, so I’m just working on that.”
The Buckeyes defense backed up the pitching with a string of dazzling plays on the infield.
In the top of the sixth inning, sophomore infielder Josh McAlister made a diving catch in right field, juggling the baseball as he fell to the turf.
“He’s a super athletic guy, so it’s pretty neat to have a really good athlete like that,” Mosiello said. “He had some web gems and theatrics.”
In the seventh and eighth innings, senior right-hander Wyatt Loncar and graduate right-hander Will Pfennig got the Falcons to ground into two inning-ending double plays, holding Bowling Green to two runs in those two frames.
With the Falcons down to their final out, senior designated hitter Kyle Gurney took off for second base after an error by senior infielder Nick Erwin. With the ball rolling into left field, Kaczmar picked the ball up, threw to second base and McAlister applied the tag for Ohio State’s second consecutive victory.
Lipsey said Wednesday’s win was a “confidence boost” going into this weekend’s series against Maryland starting Friday at 5 p.m.
“Our coaches though, they have all the belief in us, and we just got to keep it going,” Lipsey said. “Keep playing with a chip on our shoulders, and good things will happen.”
