Senior infielder Tyler Pettorini (42) prepares to hit during the Buckeyes 12-10 loss to Alabama at the Jax College Baseball Classic Sunday in Jacksonville, FL. Credit: Ohio State Athletics
An upset win on Friday was short-lived for Ohio State.
After knocking off No. 12 NC State, the Buckeyes allowed two late comebacks from Coastal Carolina and Alabama to finish the Jax College Baseball Classic 1-2.
Catcher Mason Eckelman led the Buckeyes with four hits on the weekend, while catcher Matthew Graveline and infielder Lee Ellis each had a team-high four RBIs.
Pitcher Chase Herrell turned in a solid start on Saturday, pitching six innings and allowing just one earned run on three hits and a walk while striking out a career-high nine batters.
Game 1: No. 12 NC State
On Friday, Ohio State faced its first-ranked opponent of the season in NC State and upset the Wolfpack 8-3.
The Buckeyes struck first in the top of the second inning, loading the bases with no outs before an error allowed two to score, followed by an RBI groundout by first baseman Will Carpenter to give Ohio State a 3-0 lead.
NC State didn’t falter as it tied the game in the bottom of the third inning on a three-run homer.
But that was all the Wolfpack had.
Ohio State cruised the rest of the way, scoring five unanswered runs to clinch its first win of the season.
Game 2: Coastal Carolina
The momentum didn’t carry over to the next day for the Buckeyes as a late comeback by Coastal Carolina pushed the Chanticleers to a 10-8 victory in 11 innings.
Ohio State opened the scoring with a mammoth five-run second inning, highlighted by an RBI triple by Eckelman and a three-run homer by Graveline.
Coastal Carolina didn’t go away, returning with seven runs from the fourth through eighth innings to take an 8-5 lead.
But the Buckeyes weren’t done.
In the bottom of the ninth, Ohio State found itself with the bases loaded.
And Tyeler Pettorini came up clutch.
The Buckeye third baseman shot a single down the right-field line, clearing the bases and tying the game at 8 to force extra innings.
However, the Chanticleers prevailed, plating two in the top of the 11th and taking the game 10-8.
Game 3: Alabama
The game looked all but over when Ohio State scored the first 10 runs of the ballgame on Sunday.
Alabama had other plans, mounting a furious late-inning comeback to stun the Buckeyes 12-10 with a walk-off homer.
The Buckeyes struck first in the top of the third inning as Ellis hit his third homer of the year, giving Ohio State a 3-0 lead.
The Buckeyes exploded in the fourth, batting through the order and tacking on seven runs, capped off by a three-run homer from Pettorini.
But Alabama began to creep back.
The Crimson Tide got on the board in the bottom half of the fourth with three runs to pull within seven.
It looked like the Buckeyes halted their momentum, shutting out Alabama for the next two innings.
However, the Crimson Tide had more left in the tank.
Alabama scored four runs in the seventh, followed by two runs in the eighth, shaving Ohio State’s lead to one.
Two walks in the bottom of the ninth proved to be the difference as one swing by Crimson Tide first baseman Will Hodo lifted Alabama to a 12-10 victory.
The Buckeyes (1-5) will finish off a nine-game road trip in Arlington, Texas, next week as they compete in the 2025 College Baseball Series. Ohio State will face Auburn at 4 p.m. Friday, Baylor at 3 p.m. Saturday, and finish off with Oregon State at noon Sunday.
