Buckeyes Drop 5-4 Heartbreaker in 18-Inning Game Saturday Night vs. Minnesota
5/4/2019 9:46:01 PM | Baseball
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MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The Ohio State baseball team fell, 5-4, in 18 innings in the series opener at Minnesota Saturday night at Siebert Field. The game, which went five hours and 45 minutes, was the longest contest by the Buckeyes in at least 15 years. The two teams were scheduled to play a doubleheader Saturday after a wash out on Friday night, but will now play a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m. ET Sunday in Minneapolis. With the loss, the Buckeyes fall to 24-21 overall and 7-9 in B1G play, while the Golden Gophers improve to 19-23 overall and 9-7 in league action.
QUOTE FROM COACH
“You play 18 innings and play a five-hour plus ball game, you’re kind of waiting for something to happen,” head coach Greg Beals said. “I liked the fight we had and getting out of some bases-loaded jams. We created some opportunities for them with some free bases, but it’s a tough loss. Our guys spilled it today and I’m proud of that. We are going to get a good night sleep and come back here tomorrow.”
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Buckeyes were three outs away from the win, but the Golden Gophers forced extra innings after a game-tying single in the bottom of the ninth. The next eight innings went scoreless until Minnesota loaded the bases in the bottom of the 18th vs. right-handed reliever Will Pfennig. Minnesota’s Gabe Knowles knocked a walk-off single on a 2-0 count up the middle to end the wild Big Ten game. Pfennig received the loss to drop to 0-3, throwing 3.1 innings on four hits, one run, one earned, three walks and three strikeouts. Golden Gopher pitcher Patrick Fredrickson claimed the win to improve to 2-3 after throwing two scoreless innings of relief with one strikeout. OSU left-handed reliever Andrew Magno was a gamer on the mound tonight, throwing 7.0 innings of relief on four hits, one run, eight walks (three intentional) and eight strikeouts. In total, the Golden Gophers left 27 on base, while Ohio State left nine stranded.
That's our captain, @R_winand_45. #GoBucks #SCTop10 pic.twitter.com/eUHpt4xLr7
— Ohio State Baseball (@OhioStateBASE) May 5, 2019
TEAMS EXCHANGES RUNS EARLY
The Buckeyes scored the first run of the game off Minnesota starting pitcher Max Meyer in the top of the second when Zach Dezenzo pulled a 1-0 pitch down the left field line for a RBI double. Dillon Dingler knocked a one-out single and scored on the extra-base hit by Dezenzo. Minnesota claimed an unearned run in the bottom of the second after a hit by pitch, wild pitch, passed ball and sac fly to right.
BUCKEYES GET THE LEAD BACK
A couple free bases allowed by the Gophers and a RBI grounder by Conner Pohl gave the Buckeyes a 2-1 lead as Brady Cherry scored the second run of the game.
2? | RBI double by @ZachDezenzo@dillondingler17 sprints around the bases and scores. The Buckeyes strike first.
OSU 1, MINN 0 | #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/RtAF5fvu0K
— Ohio State Baseball (@OhioStateBASE) May 4, 2019
STARTER TALK
Ohio State starting pitcher Garrett Burhenn limited the Gopher bats to one run on three hits through four frames, leaving a runner on third in the first with back-to-back strikeouts. He got out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth with a fly out to Canzone in foul territory. The OSU right-hander went 5.2 innings before being relieved by right-handed reliever Bayden Root with two on and two down in the bottom of the sixth. Burhenn put the Gophers at 0-for-11 with runners on and 0-for-9 with runners on base in his 12th start of the year. He allowed two runs, one earned, with three walks and three strikeouts in a no decision performance.
MINNESOTA TIES THE GAME
Pinch-hitter Eduardo Estrada singled to center to push the tying run across the dish. A foul out ended the sixth inning with score knotted at 2-all.
GOPHERS GRAB THE LEAD
With the bases loaded and two down, Jack Wassel hit a RBI single to center off Root to put Minnesota ahead by one. Root tossed 1.1 innings and gave up one run on three hits with one walk.
OHIO STATE FIGHTS BACK
The Scarlet and Gray got two in the top of the eighth inning to retake the lead, 4-3. After a one-out single by Matt Carpenter, Brady Cherry walked to put two on base and end Meyer’s day on the mound. A single by Pohl loaded the bases before Dingler pushed home Carpenter with a ground ball up the middle. Minnesota right-handed reliever Brett Schulze then threw a wild pitch on a 0-2 count to allow Cherry to score the go-ahead run.
MINNESOTA TIES IT UP
The Buckeyes were three outs away in from the road win, but after a lead-off walk, a RBI single by Eli Wilson down the left field line off Magno tied the game at 4-all. Magno left two on base with a strikeout to move the game into extra innings. Magno turned a key double play with the bases loaded to send the game into the 11th.
E | 1-2-3 DOUBLE PLAY!
We go to the 11th.
OSU 4, MINN 4 | #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/V4jEfyO3jo
— Ohio State Baseball (@OhioStateBASE) May 4, 2019
GAME NOTES
- The game tonight was the longest game in 15 years by a Buckeye team, passing a 16-inning game vs. Purdue in 2004.
- Total game time: 5 hours and 45 minutes.
- Minnesota left 27 runners on base, while Ohio stranded nine runners.
- The Buckeye pitching staff struck out 14 and walked 15 batters.
- With a two-out walk in the top of the fifth, Canzone extended his reached base streak to 41 games.
- Canzone hit a lead-off single in the top of the 10th to extend his hit streak to 18 games.
- Dingler extended his reached base streak to 21 straight games with a one-out single in the top of the second. Pohl has reached base in 13 in a row.
- Dezenzo recorded his eighth double of the season in the second.
- Cherry has a team-high 13 doubles this spring.
- Winand extended his hit streak to five games with a bunt single in the fifth.
- Carpenter extended his hit streak to four in a row with a one-out single in the eighth.
- Minnesota’s Max Meyer allowed a career-high four runs and three earned runs vs. the Buckeyes today.
We interrupt game action to bring you some shenanigans from the @OhioStateBASE dugout. pic.twitter.com/jrAqgGBBHh
— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) May 4, 2019
