Pitching Woes…Buckeyes Drop Game 2, And Series, To Purdue

For the second day in a row, Purdue scored early and often to cruise past Ohio State and take the three game series from the Buckeyes.  OSU seeks to avoid sweep on Sunday.

West Lafayette, IN – Ohio State coach Justin Haire need only to think about 2025 and the stress that comes with having one’s patience tried when your starting pitching is unreliable.

And Saturday, in West Lafayette, Indiana, the Buckeyes’ boss must surely have had his patience tried.

The Purdue Boilermakers scored six times in the bottom of the first inning off starter Chris Domke, then added 2 in the second, 2 in the seventh, and 2 in the eighth inning to cruise to an eventual 12-7 win over Ohio State to take the three-game series and claim their 27th win of the season against 11 losses.

The Buckeyes saw their record drop to 19-18 and will try to avoid a series sweep in the final of the three-game set on Sunday.

Less than 24 hours after Friday starter Gavin Kuzniewski struggled to tame the Boilers’ efficient lineup, Saturday’s starter, Chris Domke, had even less luck, recording just one out in the bottom of the first.  He gave up 6 runs on just 3 hits and walked 3 before being replaced by reliever Jake Michalak.

For his part, Michalak pitched credibly over the next 4.2 innings, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits, but for the second day in a row the first-inning hole was just too deep an obstacle for the Ohio State batting order to overcome.  But not because they didn’t try.

For the second day in a row shortstop Henry Kaczmar went 3 for 5.

For the second day in a row catcher/designated hitter Mason Eckelman had 3 hits in four at bats.

The two combined for 7 of the Buckeyes’ total of 14 hits on the day.

And for the second day in a row, first baseman Dane Harvey homered, his third in two games.

But Buckeyes pitching found, for the second day in a row, that 14 hits given up, along with 6 walks, against a team hitting nearly .320 as a lineup, doesn’t equate like it does against one hitting .260 (Maryland and Penn State).

It has to be better to remain in the thick of a title chase, as Haire and pitching coach Tyler Robinson no doubt recognize (if they hadn’t already) – the next step in the rebuild.

Purdue won it Saturday with 12 runs on 14 hits and committed one error.

The Buckeyes lost it with 7 runs on 14 hits and committed one error.

And one cannot emphasize it enough…that 7 runs on 14 hits is more than enough to win against a quality opponent at any level of baseball.

Final Facts:

The Buckeyes once again showed that all things being equal…they can hit against any and all of the Big Ten, so far.  Besides Kaczmar and Eckelman’s fine days at the plate, Alex Bemis and Maddix Simpson each finished with 2 hits.

Henry Kaczmar is now leading the team with a blistering average of .357, along with 7 home runs and 34 runs batted in.  He ranks 15th in the Big Ten, behind league leader Mac Moyer (.400), from Nebraska.

Relievers Michalak and Lincoln McVickers combined to allow 6 runs on 11 hits in 4.2 innings of work.

Pierce Herrenbruck will get the start for Ohio State in the series finale on Sunday, seeking to win their 20th game of the season, and their tenth in conference play.