Buckeye left fielder Trey Lipsey runs the bases during a 15-2 blowout of the Nebraska Cornhuskers Tuesday night at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. Credit: Courtesy of Ohio State Athletics
It took just seven innings for Ohio State’s baseball squad to hit the run-rule limit and defeat the University of Nebraska.
The Buckeyes (29-24, 12-12 Big Ten) blasted 15 runs on 15 hits, while holding the Cornhuskers (34-20, 16-8 Big Ten) to two runs, defeating Nebraska in the first round of the Big Ten tournament Tuesday.
Sophomore ace Landon Beidelschies started on the mound for the Buckeyes, delivering a five-inning, eight-strikeout performance while allowing only one earned run.
In the second inning, graduate second baseman Joseph Mershon was the first to get Ohio State’s offense going, hammering a ball over the right-field fence to put the Buckeyes ahead 1-0.
Ohio State had a huge eight-run fourth inning behind a two-RBI triple from junior designated hitter Nick Giamarusti, an RBI single from junior left fielder Trey Lipsey, an RBI groundout from junior third baseman Tyler Pettorini, back-to-back RBI doubles from senior right fielder Mitchell Okuley and Mershon and an RBI single from senior first baseman Hunter Rosson.
The Huskers grabbed two runs off of a long ball from junior catcher Josh Caron in the bottom of the fourth inning and an RBI single from sophomore shortstop Dylan Carey in the bottom half of the sixth.
Nebraska’s scoring attack, however, would stop there.
The Buckeyes’ bullpen, consisting of freshmen pitchers Chase Herrell and Zach Brown, shut down the Cornhuskers hitters for the final two innings, giving Ohio State a 15-2 run-rule victory.
Lipsey led the Buckeyes with three hits, while Mershon led the team with four RBIs.
The Buckeyes will be back in action in the second round of the Big Ten tournament against the No. 3 Indiana Hoosiers Thursday at 3 p.m.
