Matt Graveline reaches for home plate, scoring int he first inning on squeeze bunt from Joe Mershon. They dropped the second game of the series, 8-5. (Press Pros Feature Photos)
For a second day in a row the Buckeyes fail at the plate and at opportunity’s doorstep. They drop the series to Georgetown, 8-5.
Columbus, OH – Bill Mosiello was short and sweet in characterizing Saturday’s 8-5 loss to Georgetown, and loss of the three-game series to the Hoyas.
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“We’re just not doing winning things at winning times,” he said. “And if I knew how to fix that we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
That’s true.
As good as they were a week ago against a more respected baseball team in West Viriginia, for the first two games of this series they’ve hit with runners in scoring position like the Bad News Bears.
To give you an idea, in the bottom of the first Mosiello employed the safety squeeze to score a run, part of a 2-0 start that looked like it would be sufficient for a time with starter Colin Purcell on the mound.
Purcell was brilliant for four innings, allowing a run on four hits while striking out five. But in the fifth the wheels came off, Georgetown sending 11 men to the plate, scoring 5 times on just two hits…but helped along by three walks – three of them from reliever Blaine Wynk, who relieved Purcell with two outs.
It ALL happened with two outs!
Tyler PUrcell as as good as he’s been…but could not survive the fifth inning.
The Buckeyes scored a pair in the bottom of the fifth, but hardly in crushing fashion…two walks, a hit batsman, and and an RBI single by Trey Lipsey.
In the bottom of the sixth they added, but could have done more – three walks, another hit batsman, and a run-scoring fielder’s choice. They left two on with Mitch Okuley at the plate.
By this time Hunter Shaw was in the game and pitched well for for six outs. But before he exited the eighth inning he gave up 2 runs on 3 hits and yielded the duties to Jacob Morin. Morin, who has been a strike thrower, threw them again, pitching the final inning and a third allowing one hit.
Bottom Line: OSU lost it with 5 runs on 7 hits and had no errors.
Georgetown won it with 8 runs on 12 hits and had one error.
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Frighteningly, the Buckeyes left the men on base enough (13) to more than make up for any three-run deficit.
Captain Mitchell Okuley has been in the eye of the storm for the first two games of this series and did his best to explain the sudden struggles to hit the baseball.
“I’m not sure. Personally I’m getting some good pitches to hit, just not getting the results that I want,” said afterwards.
On a normal day Mitchell Okuley makes this catch…the wind and the cold were a factor.
“Can’t speak of the others, but yesterday we chased a lot more instead of sitting back on a guy that we knew wasn’t throwing very hard. Overall, they haven’t shown the power arms to beat us, they’re just kinda’ clever with the way they do it. We’re getting out in front and gettin’ ourselves out.”
Mosiello took the time, and opportunity, to give offensive credit to Georgetown.
“I might have underestimated them, and their record, because of their schedule,” he said. “You look at who they’ve played and I probably didn’t respect that enough.
“The fact is that their three and four hitters are very good, Ficca is leading their league in hitting, home runs, and RBIs, and collectively they’re an older, more experienced team.”
He has said repeatedly that this would be a work in progress, despite the early success in the West. The bullpen Saturday, turned out to be part of the process.
“Yeah, Blaine Wynk hasn’t had a day like that, but again I know it’s cold. This game wasn’t meant to be played on days like this.”
It was, to be sure, a miserable day for baseball. The game-time chill factor barely creeped above the 28-degree minimum, and without question, or excuse, it impacts the outcome of any baseball game played in those conditions.
“The game was never meant to be played in this,” said Mosiello. “But they have to play in it, too. We just have to come out tomorrow and be better than we were the last two days.”
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Up and down day for the bullpen…Blaine Wynk suffered the back end of the five-run fifth.
Sunday’s finale with send Gavin Bruni to the mound, seeking his third win of the year, and the forecast – at least weather – is for about ten degrees warmer.
Mosiello and the Buckeyes would like it hotter around home plate.
A lot hotter.
Game Notes:
Henry Kaczmar saw his 18-game hitting streak come to an end, going 0 for 3 in Saturday’s loss.
CJ Richard (Moeller HS) got his first start of the year in centerfield, and went hitless in three at bats.
Matt Graveline was the hitting star for the Buckeyes, as he continues to sizzle with the bat. Graveline had a pair of doubles, and scored two of the Buckeyes’ five runs.
The Buckeyes fall back to the .500 mark (10-10), and need a win on Sunday to restore at least some momentum for next weekend’s Big Ten opener against Purdue.
“Everything we’ve done so far is prepare us for the Big Ten,” Mosiello said following the West Virginia series. “We’re not going to see anything more, or better, than we’ve seen so far.”
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