Making his second start since missing time with Mononucleosis, OSU’s Ryan Butler was roughed up by Iowa for 9 runs and 8 hits in three-plus innings pitched. (Press Pros Feature Photos)
For the fourth time this year and the third time in a week the Buckeyes were run-ruled Friday by Iowa in the opening game of their weekend series.
Iowa City, IA – They had snow and blizzard-like conditions earlier this week in Iowa, and the Ohio State Buckeyes had hoped that their three-game weekend series with the Iowa Hawkeyes would therefore be storm-free.
Nay, nay. Iowa blew in early, struck hard, and sent the Buckeyes to their fourth straight loss, 12-0.
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Friday afternoon starter Ryan Butler would quickly discover that bad weather can come in different ways and the Hawkeyes caught up with him early like an Oklahoma twister.
After an error by first baseman Ryan Miller allowed the leadoff man to reach in the bottom of the first, Butler promptly served up a home run to designated hitter Reese Moore and the storm was on.
Butler, seeking to reprise the success he had last weekend against Indiana in his initial start after missing time with Mononucleosis, would not survive the fourth inning. Iowa scored 4 in the second, and 3 more in the fourth. His line: 3-plus innings pitched, 9 runs on 8 hits (seven earned), he struck out 3 and walked 3…and allowed 4 Hawkeye home runs. By the time he was replaced in the bottom of the fourth the Buckeyes trailed 9-0 and were in jeopardy of suffering their third run-rule loss in a week, and their fourth for the season.
Sahil Patel relieved Butler after a three-run home run by Iowa catcher Dan Rogers in the fourth, and pitched into the fifth, allowing 3 runs (all earned) on 2 hits.
In the meantime the Buckeyes’ offense was as cold as Wednesday’s forecast, able to scratch just 3 hits off Iowa starter Cade Obermueller, who went six innings, allowing no runs on 3 hits, striking out 9 and walking 2. Tyler Pettorini had a single, Nick Giamarusti had two singles, and that was the sum total of the excitement with the bats.
OSU’s Charlie Giese pitched the final 1.1 innings to wrap up, while Iowa’s Chas Wheatley retired the Buckeyes on three strikeouts in the top of the seventh to put the finishing touches on the run-rule win.
The Buckeyes fall to 6-13, overall, and 0-4 in conference play.
Iowa improved to 12-8, overall, and 5-2 in the Big Ten.
The Bucks and the Hawkeyes resume the weekend series on Saturday at 2 pm ET, with presumed starter Chase Herrell taking the mound seeking his second win of the season.
And they need one.
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