Ohio State Baseball head coach Greg Beals watches the team as they are up to bat during the Ohio State-Iowa game on March 26. Ohio State won 8-2. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
The Buckeyes were thrown a curveball — off the field this time — when COVID-19 within Minnesota’s baseball program canceled last weekend’s three-game series.
Coincidentally, the Boilermakers also had their weekend series against Northwestern canceled, and the two schools reached an agreement Friday to play Tuesday’s game.
Ohio State (18-14) defeated Purdue (11-21) 5-1 in the only midweek game of the Buckeyes’ season, limiting the Boilermakers’ opportunities early and leaning on the shoulders of junior right-hander Garrett Burhenn’s sixth consecutive start of at least 5 2/3 innings.
“His fastball had great run, two of the hit batsmen were on the slider — you know, the slider just bit in the wind and did more than normal,” head coach Greg Beals said. “A windy day, a tough day on offenses, but also created some ball movement.”
The Buckeyes scored first for the sixth time in the last eight games but not without a little drama involved.
The first three Ohio State hitters reached base to start the top of the second inning but following back-to-back strikeouts, junior third baseman Nick Erwin stepped to the plate with two outs.
On a 2-2 pitch, he took a non-committal swing, only getting about half his might behind it, but the ball carried over Purdue senior right fielder Miles Simington’s head to clear the bases and give the Buckeyes a 3-0 lead.
“I thought it was just a fly ball to right field,” Erwin said. “I think I just got a little bit fortunate that the wind was kind of pushing it a little bit that way, but no I thought that was a routine out. I was honestly just trying to foul off the fastball away and it happened to go that way.”
That was all Burhenn needed, despite dancing in and out of danger across his six-inning start.
In the first inning, his only blemish — which was miniscule as he started all four hitters with an 0-2 count — was hitting Purdue’s leadoff hitter, sophomore center fielder Mike Bolton Jr., in the foot with a breaking ball.
The second and third innings featured pairs of walks and infield singles, respectively, followed in the fourth by a single and Bolton’s second plunking of the game.
The Boilermakers’ struggles with hitting with runners in scoring position continued as they failed to push a single run across, stranding eight runners on base — five of which were in scoring position.
The Boilermakers stranded 11 men to Ohio State’s six, finishing 3-for-18 with runners on and 0-for-9 with them in scoring position.
Burhenn cruised through the fifth but ran into some trouble on behalf of his defense.
Following a walk to Purdue redshirt freshman first baseman Cam Thompson, redshirt junior shortstop Justin Walker Jr. chopped a weak bouncing single into right field. Then chaos ensued.
Sophomore right fielder Mitchell Okuley fielded it and tried to throw out Thompson who safely advanced from first to third. Erwin picked it up and threw to second base as Walker took advantage of Okuley overthrowing the cut-off man.
The Grove City, Ohio, native’s throw was wide, but was knocked down by junior shortstop Zach Dezenzo. The dribbling ball was picked up a few feet behind the bag at second by sophomore second baseman Nate Karaffa who’s throw home was late, as Thompson scored Purdue’s only run of the ballgame.
Burhenn remained unphased, inducing a weak groundout to first and striking out Bolton, putting the lid on his 103-pitch, six-strikeout performance.
“I did a pretty good job at missing their barrels, getting some good hits that our infield and outfield was able to take care of for me,” Burhenn said.
Redshirt senior first baseman Conner Pohl delivered the knockout punch in the top of the seventh on a two-RBI single to put the game out of reach 5-1.
The Arcanum, Ohio, native extended his hitting streak to 14 games and consecutive contests with an RBI to five.
“When Conner Pohl’s hitting and just willing to hit — not that he has to hit the ball the other way by no means because he’s got serious power — but when he’s in that hit mode, he’s going to be very productive for us,” Beals said.
Ohio State, now winning five of its last seven games, sits sixth in the Big Ten standings and looks to keep up its recent run of success against Michigan State Friday through Sunday at Bill Davis Stadium in Columbus.
