Ohio State then-junior infielder Conner Pohl (39) dives to third base during the game against Hawaii on March 23. Ohio State won 7-5. Credit: Casey Cascaldo | Photo Editor
Ohio State baseball got off on the wrong foot in the first of a five-game road swing in Florida, but bounced back with two wins to close out the weekend.
The Buckeyes (5-7) dropped to Stetson (11-3) 9-1 Friday before getting back in the win column with a 13-1 victory against Harvard (1-5) Saturday and an 8-5 result over Fairfield (1-8) the following day.
Game 1
Offensive struggles continued for the Buckeyes against Stetson, as they dropped their third straight game by a score of 9-1 Friday.
Redshirt sophomore pitcher Seth Lonsway struggled for the first time this year, allowing eight walks and four earned runs in two innings to take his second loss of the year as a starter.
The Hatters scored two in the second and two in the third to build a lead that the Buckeyes could not overcome.
The format has been a common theme for Ohio State, which has had trouble bouncing back from early deficits all season.
Ohio State was stifled by Stetson redshirt junior pitcher Robbie Peto, who struck out 11 batters in six innings and allowed just one earned run.
The one run in the fifth inning was driven in by freshman left fielder Mitchell Okuley, but it was all the Buckeyes had to show for.
The Hatters had a consistent day, scoring a run in five of eight innings including five runs in the first four innings.
Senior outfielder Andrew MacNeil and junior infielder Kyle Ball led the offensive attack for the Hatters. MacNeil hit 2-for-3 with three RBI, and Ball went 3-for-4 with three runs.
Game 2
The Buckeyes hit their stride in their second game in DeLand, Florida, with a 13-1 win against Harvard thanks to strong pitching and a collective effort at the plate.
Sophomore pitcher Garrett Burhenn had his best outing of the year, allowing five hits and one run in seven innings of work. Burhenn collected 13 strikeouts on the day, which set a career high for the starter.
The bats came alive for the Buckeyes on Saturday, as they had 15 tallied hits and accumulated seven runs in the first two innings alone.
Home runs from senior infielder Conner Pohl and junior catcher Dillon Dingler sparked the Buckeye offense, as both collected their first long balls of the year.
Six Buckeyes recorded multi-hit games and four others tallied multi-hit RBI games.
The win was the largest margin of victory for the Buckeyes this year.
Game 3
The final game of the weekend series was a 8-3 win for Ohio State thanks to a five-run eighth inning that broke a 3-3 tie and lifted the Buckeyes to victory against Fairfield.
The Buckeyes scored three in the fifth, but Fairfield rallied in the top of the eighth inning to even the score going into the bottom of the eighth.
The inning began with a single from Dingler that was followed by a double from redshirt junior catcher Brent Todys to set up the Buckeyes in a favorable position.
A fielder’s choice from sophomore infielder Zach Dezenzo plated one and singles from freshman infielder Nate Karaffa, sophomore outfielder Nolan Clegg, and sophomore infielder Nick Erwin stretched the lead to 7-3.
The Buckeyes scored one more to make it five runs in the eighth to extend an 8-3 lead going into the ninth, where redshirt senior pitcher Patrick Murphy closed it down to seal the victory.
Junior pitcher Griffan Smith had a productive outing, going 5.2 innings and allowing four hits and no runs.
The win capped off a winning series for the Buckeyes, their first since opening weekend.
Ohio State continues their spring break trip in Jacksonville, Florida, against North Florida on Tuesday.
