Freshman Chase Herrell ended Michigan’s threat in the sixth after loading the bases, striking out the final out to leave them loaded. (Press Pros Feature Photos)
Coming off a lackluster performance in game one of their weekend series with Michigan, the Buckeyes turned the tables and gave themselves a chance for a series win on Sunday.
Ann Arbor, MI – The gloom of a bad loss to Michigan the night before was palpable when Ohio State (19-16, 6-5 in Big Ten) walked into Ray Fisher Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
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4-0 on Friday, with remnants of many of the deficiencies that plagued them through their sixteen previous losses, did not sit well with either Bill Mosiello, or the rank and file.
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But, they atoned. Boy, did they atone, banging out 16 runs on 16 hits in a 3:30 minute spanking of Michigan (19-21, 9-5 in Big Ten) Saturday to at worst give themselves the opportunity for a series win on Sunday – their 16-1 win over the Wolverines a reminder of the Buckeyes’ series sweep last May to finish the season on a 9-game win streak, and send Michigan into a tailspin just days before they played in the Big Ten Tournament.
“You can’t explain it,” said Bill Mosiello of Saturday’s blowout. “But it does reinforce the point that there is no such thing as momentum in baseball. You’re only as good as your next starting pitcher, or your next at bat.
Ryan Miller drops the bat head on this shot to left that left the park for a two-run home run and gave the Buckeyes the lead.
“Baseball’s different than football or basketball. It’s the stupidest game in the world…every day it’s its own entity. There is no carryover, there’s just psyche with players and how they think. But the game changes one pitch at a time. No one can figure it out – the teams that spend the most money or the prognosticators who think they know who’s going to win every game. There’s nothing like baseball. It’s the dumbest, stupidest, but yet the most rewarding game there is.”
The gloom of the night before carried over to the first inning, where starter Gavin Bruni had his moments when he walked the leadoff hitter, then surrendered an RBI double, and another walk before retiring the side trailing 1-0.
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Michigan starter Will Rogers kept the reminder alive, carrying that 1-0 lead into the top of the third inning. But to Mosiello’s point, baseball can change on a dime…or in the time it takes for one critical at bat.
And in the third Josh Stevenson led off with a line single to left, followed by Ryan Miller’s third home run in a week, a shot to left center field that left the park with laser-like quickness. Now leading 2-1, they added a third run on a hit batsman and a run-scoring triple by Tyler Pettorini.
Pettorini’s triple…central to the Buckeyes’ three-run third inning, and a lead they’d never relinquish.
Again, to his (Mosiello’s) point that one critical at bat, or inning, can change the entire complexion of a baseball game, given all the pieces fall into place…Gavin Bruni came out in the second inning an entirely different pitcher than he was in the first.
In fact, Bruni nearly cruised through five innings, giving up one run on one hit, striking out 5 and walking 6. Not the cleanest performance, but he battled – competed – and once again gave his team a chance to find a winning groove.
“He was close to coming out the first inning,” said Mosiello for his junior starter. “But, he’s a great competitor even when he struggles, and that’s why he still gets opportunities. What he did today was humongous.”
And to reward his effort the Buckeyes struck for three more runs in the top of the sixth – five singles by Okuley, Stevenson, Mershon, Lipsey, and Kaczmar, sandwiching a walk to Ryan Miller. And at 6-1, with his pitch count up to 88, Gavin Bruni’s day was done as pitching coach Sean Allen went to the bullpen and brought in freshman Chase Herrell.
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No one has benefited more from on-the-job-training more than Herrell this spring, and he proved it by walking the leadoff hitter, then loading the bases with a base hit and a second walk. You could feel it…Michigan’s opportunity to flip momentum, and possibly the score. But Herrell bore down to retire the final two outs on a popup to second base…and a swinging strikeout to end the threat.
Heading for the exits…the Buckeyes scored 3 in the sixth, 3 in the seventh, and 4 in the eighth, driving Michigan fans to an early departure.
From that point the Buckeyes simply wasted the Michigan bullpen. Rogers was out after five innings, and eight successive Michigan relievers did little more than pour gas on the fire that would become an OSU inferno.
In total…they would score 3 in the sixth, 3 in the seventh, 4 in the eighth, and 3 in the ninth.
Individually…Trey Lipsey would go 1 for 2 with an RBI and a run scored.
Henry Kaczmar would go 2 for 5 with 3 RBIs.
Tyler Pettorini would end 1 for 5, but that one as the big triple in the third.
Mitchell Okuley would finish 2 for 2 with 3 runs scored.
Joe Mershon would go 1 for 4 with an RBI.
Ike Cadena would finish 1 for 5 with a double high off the 30 foot ball in left, and narrowly missed a home run in the eighth.
Ryan Miller would finish 1 for 2 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBIs.
But the hitting leader would be centerfielder Josh Stevenson, who banged out 4 hits in 5 at bats, with a double, a run scored, and 3 RBIs.
“Stevenson and Miller are playing for a reason. Josh is going to play anyway because of his defensive ability, but he’s getting good at bats and he’s doing things in center field that no one else can do. And at first base Ryan Miller had that big two-run blast today that got us going. And that’s what he does. He brings some amazing thunder to the plate, but again, he’s got to make contact, and he’s starting to do that.”
Stevenson, who’s hovered just above the ‘Mendoza’ line all spring, was all smiles over his best day yet as a Buckeye.
“It feels good, because Coach has been sticking with me through the ups and downs,” said the junior transfer from Louisiana. “I’m grateful that he’s kept me in the lineup and we’re starting to get it going. I’m more confident now, and I think it takes a little bit of success to get that confidence. And today definitely gives us an edge to beat them, and we hope to do it again tomorrow.”
And while Stevenson’s hitting and defense served as a foundation around which to build, so too was the performance of Chase Herrell, who gave the Buckeyes that lift in the six by pitching out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam, unscathed.
“That felt great,” said the youngster from Milford High School who’s quietly creating an inventory of successful outings. “To be on their home turf and get out a jam like that felt great. The more I pitch the more comfortable I feel.”
Josh’s big day…centerfielder Josh Stevenson went 4 for 5 with a double, a run scored, and three RBIs.
The Buckeyes won it with 16 runs o 16 hits and had no errors.
Michigan lost it with 1 run on 4 hits and had no errors.
Sunday they have the opportunity to not only win a series at Michigan for the first time in contemporary memory, but to win their third series in four Big Ten weekends (Purdue, and Iowa, previously). Freshman Gavin DeVooght and a rested bullpen will again take center stage, something to which Mosiello has become accustomed, and comfortable, given the circumstances.
“You have to get a few scars, as bad as it sounds, but these guys are getting better every time out,” said Mo. “But when you have 27 new players and you’re trying to develop a culture, you learn to live another day and come out tomorrow and try to win a series. I can’t wait to play it (Sunday’s game).”
The Buckeyes are now 6-5 in conference play, compared to 3-8 for the same period last year, and Sunday’s rubber game can be heard locally on 1460 WBNS AM, with Matt Andrews and Bob Spears.
And with Iowa winning Saturday, they improve to 8-6 in the Big Ten, dropping Ohio State to seventh place in the standings. Illinois leads the pack with a 9-2 mark, followed by Purdue with an 8-4 record.
Freezing…but warmed by the 16-1 win over Michigan, and a chance to take a series on Sunday.
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