Ohio State freshman outfielder Mitchell Okuley (24) stands on second base. Credit: Courtesy of Ohio State Athletics
The Buckeyes entered the weekend tied atop the Big Ten standings, but ran into issues in their Friday games against Iowa and Nebraska, getting swept in the doubleheader.
Ohio State (5-3) regrouped Saturday and Sunday, splitting each individual series with the Hawkeyes (2-5) and Cornhuskers (5-2) behind clutch hits from sophomore outfielder Mitchell Okuley and senior second baseman Colton Bauer, in the respective games.
Game 1:
Heading into the top of the sixth inning the only two Ohio State base runners came on a pair of fourth inning walks, but the Buckeyes looked to finally breakthrough after a pair of singles from senior designated hitter Sam Wilson and junior shortstop Zach Dezenzo.
However, Ohio State’s only two hits of the game were stranded as the Buckeyes dropped their first game of the weekend against Iowa 4-0 Friday, as Ohio State’s offense had no answers for Iowa redshirt junior left-handed pitcher Trenton Wallace. Head coach Greg Beals said Wallace was effective at mixing his pitches and keeping the offense unbalanced.
“His fastball’s got some life to it, but he was able to hit with a breaking ball and a changeup and he had all three going,” Beals said.
In the fourth inning, Iowa led off with a pair of singles from redshirt senior third baseman Matthew Sosa and redshirt freshman left fielder Brayden Frazier.
Those two runners came around to score on a wild pitch and an RBI single from redshirt junior center fielder Brett McCleary.
The Hawkeyes leadoff hitters were 4-for-8 in reaching base, with two of Iowa’s four runs scored coming from the first batter of the frame.
Iowa’s other two runs came in the seventh and eighth innings, on a double from redshirt freshman catcher Tyler Snep and a safety squeeze bunt from freshman infielder Michael Seegers.
Ohio State redshirt junior left-handed pitcher Seth Lonsway gave the Buckeyes six strong innings, as he only surrendered two earned runs while striking out nine.
The Buckeyes allowed the Hawkeyes to steal four bases, something they have struggled to curtail in their eight games this season, as they have allowed 15 swiped bags without throwing out a runner yet.
Game 2:
Nebraska’s bottom of the second inning saw its first four runners reach base, all coming around to score, capped off by a three-run homer for freshman infielder Max Anderson.
Ohio State was swept in Friday’s doubleheader, dropping the second game 10-4, as the Buckeyes’ three-home run, feast-or-famine offense was stifled by the Cornhuskers’ five-run second inning. Okuley said despite the struggling offense, confidence is the Buckeyes’ key to success.
“You can’t get down or think about your past ABs,” Okuley said. “Trust your other teammates and know that everything will be alright.”
Nebraska junior infielder Spencer Schwellenbach was responsible for two runs in the fourth, pushing one across on an RBI double to center field, later scoring on a passed ball.
Okuley had a pair of solo home runs, giving him three in 25 at-bats this season. Beals said he recruited Okuley expecting him to excel at hitting.
“On the baseball field, obviously, you see that sweet left-handed swing,” Beals said. “For him to have success left-on-left is something that’s very important to us, so he’s able to play every day.”
Ohio State’s other two runs came courtesy of Wilson’s two-run home run in the top of the fifth inning.
The Buckeyes could not string together offense to push more runs across, as they were a dismal 1-for-12 with runners on base.
Junior right-handed pitcher Garrett Burhenn entered the game after posting the best start of the four-game opening series against Illinois. However, he was roughed up this time around as he went five innings, allowing eight hits, six earned runs, surrendering three walks and striking out five.
Game 3:
With no outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, junior right-handed pitcher Bayden Root was called upon to get out of the jam as the tying run came to the plate.
He got his men in order, retiring the Hawkeyes as the Buckeyes went on to win 7-4, ending their three-game losing streak behind another offensive explosion from Okuley. Root said his strong appearance is indicative of the entire bullpen’s mentality.
“We got a little nickname going for our bullpen, called ‘The Mean Machine,’” Root said. “We like to go out there pretty reckless, attack hitters and have a lot of fun, show a lot of passion out on the field.”
Okuley stepped to the plate with the bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth. He sliced a double down the left field line that cleared the bases, busting the game wide open at 5-1.
Okuley finished the weekend, busting out for a 5-for-14 showing at the dish, with two home runs and five RBI.
The Buckeyes capped off their six-run fifth inning behind an RBI single from Bauer and an RBI double from sophomore outfielder Nate Karaffa.
Junior right-handed pitcher Jack Neely gave the Buckeyes a strong 4.1 innings, allowing only a run and walking four, while striking out seven. Beals said he liked what he saw, but he had to pull Neely before he wanted because Ohio State lost its first two contests.
“That last inning the command got a little bit loose, he was up over 75 pitches,” Beals said.
Since Neely’s first inning of his first start, he has only allowed one hit and struck out 8 in 7.1 innings.
Game 4:
Prior to his at-bat in the top of the eighth inning, Bauer was 0-for-2 with a strikeout and a walk. However, this time around he came to bat with the game tied, and hit a ball where Vikings fans would usually be seated on fall Sundays to give Ohio State a two-run lead.
The Buckeyes clung to a 6-4 win against Nebraska to salvage the weekend, splitting each two-game series, behind a strong start from junior right-handed pitcher Will Pfennig and the offense’s home-run-or-nothing production.
Ohio State right-handed pitcher Will Pfennig gave the Buckeyes a strong 6.2-inning start, allowing two runs when he was pulled, responsible for a runner on third.
Beals turned to Root who, up to that point, had yet to allow a run while stranding six runners.
His second pitch got by senior catcher Archer Brookman for a passed ball, allowing Cornhuskers sophomore designated hitter Leighton Banjoff to score — credited to Pfennig. On the next pitch, senior outfielder Logan Foster tied the game at four with a solo shot to deep left.
The Buckeyes got behind 2-0 in the first inning on four Huskers hits, but they got it back in the middle innings.
In the fourth inning, freshman outfielder Kade Kern hit his first home run of his Ohio State career on a two-out, game-tying two-run homer to center field.
One inning later, Wilson roped a ball down the left field line to give the Buckeyes a 4-2 advantage– his second home run of the season.
Ohio State has hit nine home runs on the year, with Okuley leading the team with three.
The Buckeyes hope to build off its two-game win streak next weekend in its three-game series against Rutgers in Piscataway, New Jersey.
