Beidelschies was again brilliant, allowing just two runs on three hits over six innings. ((Press Pros Feature Photos)
Hoping to show some of the thunder and lightning of their West Coach successes, the Buckeyes fell victim to a better baseball team Friday in the home opener, losing to Georgetown.
Here’s how it started on the home opener, season 142, for Ohio State baseball Friday night at Bill Davis Stadium.
In the top of the first Georgetown singled and advanced the runner to second base with a sac bunt. Georgetown power man Christian Ficca then blasted one out to right field. The scant, freezing crowd (641) who showed up for the home opener at Bill Davis Stadium shifted in their seat, and kinda’ stared.
Publisher/editor Sonny Fulks writes the Big Ten and Buckeyes baseball for Press Pros Magazine.com.
In the bottom of the first Georgetown lefthander Marcello Mastroianni walked Trey Lipsey, hit Henry Kaczmar, struck out Matt Graveline, walked Tyler Pettorini, Joe Mershon struck out, and Mithell Okuley walked to drive in a run. Nick Giamarusti grounded out with the bases loaded…big opportunity missed.
That’s how it started. And when Georgetown (14-7) tacked on three insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning…that’s how it finished.
The Buckeyes dropped the home opener in front of a small, but expectant crowd, who surely had read their headlines about wins at Arizona State, against Oklahoma, and West Virginia. Where was that team?
“We just got our butts kicked,” said Bill Mosiello, afterwards.
Typical March weather – cold, drippy, and a night devoid of energy. A tough night to play?
“Nah,” reiterated Mosiello. “It was cold for them, too.
“And when you play like we did tonight it’s hard to play with energy. We had some opportunities, but just never could get the base hit when we had the opportunity. They made some good pitches in key at bats (opportunities), and they gave us some free bases (eight walks). We just couldn’t do anything with the chances we had.”
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Sadly, it negated another sterling effort by Friday starter Landon Beidelschies, who after the first inning home run by Ficca, settled down to pitch through the sixth allowing just those two runs on three hits. All three…came in the first.
“Yeah, Landon was great, like he has been,” said Mosello. “It’s just a shame we couldn’t play better behind him.”
Ficca’s big blast…a two-run home run by Georgetown’s Christian Ficca in the top of the first proved to be the winning run.
It was still 2-1 when Beidelschies left the game in after the sixth, replaced by Zach Brown, who pitched so well last weekend in Morgantown.
But this was not Brown’s night, as a result of location and the strike zone. He allowed three hits, walked one, and struck out two…but the damaging blow was a two-out double by Georgetown that provided more than enough insurance for an eventual win.
Georgetown’s pitching was good enough, starter Marcello Mastroianni pitching into the fifth before turning it over to relievers Andrew Citron (2 innings, 2 hits), and Marshall Whitmer (2.1 innings of hitless baseball, and four strkeouts). And in the game the Buckeyes again reached double figures in strikeouts, with ten.
After Brown’s struggle in the seventh, freshman Chase Herrell came on to pitch a hitless, scoreless eighth and ninth, striking out three.
Tyler Pettorinini’s seventh inning double proved to be the Buckeyes’ only extra base hit of the night.
Georgetown won it with 5 runs on 6 hits and had no errors
Ohio State drops to 10-9 with 1 run on four hits, and had 1 error.
The Buckeyes will attemapt to wash, rinse, and repeat tomorrow with a 2 pm matinee at Bill Davis. Colin Purcell is the likely starter.
And Georgetown, lest you wonder, is hardly a one-trick pony confined to their brilliant legacy in men’s basketball. Right fielder Christian Ficca is leading the Big East Conference in hitting, home runs, and RBIs.
It is a better weather forecast, as well. Aluminum goes better with sunshine and the motivation of getting kicked the night before.
Or so ‘Mo’ hopes.
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