Lee Ellis’ extra inning home run for the Buckeyes beat the Washington Huskies in ten innings Friday night, 10-9. (Press Pros Feature Photos)
Lee Ellis’s home run in the tenth snapped the Buckeyes’ eight-game losing streak and propelled them to a 10-9 win in Seattle.
Seattle, WA – The streak is over, thanks to Lee Ellis jumping a fastball in the tenth inning off Washington reliever Bryce Johnson, hitting it out over the left field fence, and lifting the Buckeyes to their first win in three weeks, 10-9.
The win came after four Buckeye pitchers, nine Buckeye runs on 13 hits, and ever-present reality that until their starting pitching and defensive issues become more stable, every win and every loss is going to be an inning-to-inning adventure.
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Sophomore Gavin Kuzniewski got the start for the Buckeyes, pitched two outs into the sixth, and scattered 5 runs on 7 hits well enough give a chance if the bullpen could come through.
In the meantime, the Buckeyes scored twice in the third, three times in the fifth, and single runs in the sixth and seventh to keep pace with the Huskies, struggling with their own pitching issues, now with a record of 6-11, and 2-2 in Big Ten Conference play.
Luke Carrell followed Kuzniewski to the mound in the sixth, allowed two runs on a hit, that being a home run, before being taken out for Nick Sawyer with two outs. Sawyer retired the final out.
In the top of the eighth the Buckeyes plated two runs to go up 9-7 lead.
In the bottom of the eighth Washington tied the score on a pair of Ohio State fielding errors, scoring two unearned runs off reliever Jake Michalak.
Neither team scored in the ninth, but in the top of the ten Lee Ellis came to the plate and ambushed a Bryce Johnson fastball out to left field to retake the lead at 10-9.
Michalak, needing three outs to secure his second win of the season, allowed a base runner in the bottom of the tenth, but retired the side on a ground ball back to the mound for the final out.
The Buckeyes won it with 10 runs on 13 hits and again had their issues defensively, committing five errors.
Washington lost it with 9 runs on 12 hits, including four home runs off OSU pitching, and committed one error.
The series continues today with a single game at 10 pm (ET).
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