Ohio State sophomore outfielder Mitchell Okuley (24) takes a swing at a pitch during the Ohio State-Indiana game on April 3. Ohio State won 5-2. Credit: Gretchen Rudolph | For The Lantern
The Buckeyes pounced on the Nittany Lions for three early runs in the first inning and never looked back.
Ohio State (15-12) won 7-0 against Penn State (8-18) Saturday behind another dominant start from redshirt junior left-handed pitcher Seth Lonsway and now looks for the three-game sweep Sunday.
“After I started landing it, started getting into my groove, just working well with Archer (Brookman) behind the plate, we just started cruising along,” Lonsway said.
Ohio State struck in the first inning for the sixth time in 10 home games this season.
Sophomore right fielder Mitchell Okuley walked to lead off the bottom of the first, followed by back-to-back singles from junior shortstop Zach Dezenzo and freshman outfielder Kade Kern.
Dezenzo scored and Kern advanced to third on redshirt senior catcher Brent Todys’ first sacrifice fly of the season.
The Archbold, Ohio, native scored on Penn State’s 24th wild pitch of the year to give Ohio State a 3-0 advantage in the first.
That was all Lonsway needed.
The Celina, Ohio, native labored in his 17-pitch first inning, hitting senior second baseman Gavin Homer on the right heel with a curveball that broke too much to lead off the game. He followed that up by walking freshman left fielder Tayven Kelley.
Lonsway rebounded by retiring the next three batters in order to end the early Penn State threat, getting some defensive help from redshirt senior first baseman Conner Pohl who fielded a sharp groundball off the bat of sophomore third baseman Justin Williams. With Homer on third, he smartly looked him back to the base before tagging first for the out.
“That first inning, kind of wasn’t feeling the curveball, landing that as well as I wanted to early on,” Lonsway said. “Had to mentally focus on what I was doing with my body physically to try and lay in that curveball the way I want to.”
After the first, Lonsway only allowed four more runners to reach base, scattered across his seven-inning performance. Penn State didn’t have more than one runner on the basepaths in an inning after the first frame.
The southpaw entered the day fourth in Division I with 15.26 strikeouts per nine innings, but only recorded six Saturday, while allowing three hits and two walks upon being lifted for junior righty Will Pfennig in the seventh.
In the fifth, junior third baseman Nick Erwin — who hit his first career triple Friday — hit another Saturday, scoring on an Okuley sacrifice fly out to right field.
Kern singled to start off the bottom of the seventh — Ohio State was 4-for-8 on leadoff hitters reaching base.
Todys followed that up, collecting his second RBI on the day on a double to the gap in right-center field.
“He’s finally getting a lot of reps, and he’s been working hard and it’s paying off,” Kern said. “He’s been put in some good situations to do a job and he’s been doing it. Like tonight, guy on third, hits a sac fly to drive him in.”
Two batters later, junior infielder Marcus Ernst had a much-needed RBI ground-rule double, as he had only one hit in his last 11 at-bats.
The Buckeyes moved to 8-2 at home on the year, and head coach Greg Beals said the confines of Bill Davis Stadium have certainly made for some more friendly game outcomes.
“We love this place. It’s home,” Beals said. “This is a special place and our guys realize that, and there’s something about protecting your home turf.”
The Buckeyes are going for the sweep Sunday at 1:05 p.m., as junior right-hander Jack Neely will take the mound against Penn State junior righty Kyle Virbitsky at Bill Davis Stadium. The game will be streamed live on BTN+.
