Buckeyes Drop Back-and-Forth Battle at Lipscomb

Saturday, February 29

Nashville, Tenn.

Ohio State

3-5

Lipscomb

7-2

Ohio State

Lipscomb

Buckeyes Drop Back-and-Forth Battle at Lipscomb

2/29/2020 6:59:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Ohio State baseball team suffered a 5-4 walk-off defeat to Lipscomb Saturday afternoon at Dugan Field. With the loss, the Buckeyes drop to 3-5 on the year while the Bisons improve to 7-2.

The rubber game of the three-game series is slated for 2 p.m. ET Sunday. Ohio State will throw junior left-hander Griffan Smith against Lipscomb junior right-hander Dylan Bierman.

LONSWAY WORKS OUT OF BASES-LOADED, NOBODY OUT JAM IN FIFTH
After Conner Pohl threw out a Bisons baserunner to end the bottom of the first and Brent Todys was gunned down at the plate after a fly ball to center to end the top of the second, both pitchers settled in nicely until Ohio State starter Seth Lonsway ran into trouble in the bottom of the fifth. Singles by Brian Moore and Haddon Adams led off the inning before Chris Bashlor walked to load the bases with nobody out. However, Lonsway bounced back to strike out Maddux Houghton, Malik Williams and Knox Preston to get out of the jam and keep the game scoreless.

Lonsway, who came into the weekend third in the country in strikeouts, finished the game with 13 strikeouts while allowing five hits and four walks over 5.0 scoreless innings. The redshirt sophomore lowered his ERA to 1.12 and has fanned 36 in 16.0 innings pitched this season.

11 on the field
13 K's on the charts#LonsKKKKKKKKKKKKK pic.twitter.com/cG0LWjb5aN

— Ohio State Baseball (@OhioStateBASE) February 29, 2020

BUCKEYES TAKE THE LEAD IN THE SIXTH
Dillon Dingler doubled down the left-field line off Lipscomb starter Max Habegger to lead off the inning before advancing to third on a wild pitch. Brent Todys then followed with a sacrifice fly to left to plate Dingler with the first run of the game.

Later in the inning with two down, right-hander Gavin Grubbs replaced Habegger and gave a up a single to left by Archer Brookman and a walk to Nate Karaffa before Colton Bauer lined a single to center to score Brookman to make it a 2-0 contest.

BISONS ANSWER IN THE BOTTOM OF THE FRAME
After Lonsway was lifted for right-hander TJ Brock after five innings, Lipscomb took the lead with three in the sixth. John Shields walked to lead off the inning before Jarrett O'Leary was hit by a pitch. With runners on first and second, Von Watson laid down a sacrifice bunt but Brock's throw to first was errant, allowing Shields to score. Brock then induced a popout by Moore before an Adams sacrifice fly to center plated O'Leary with the tying run and Watson scored the go-ahead run on a balk.

OHIO STATE REGAINS LEAD IN EIGHTH
Todys led off the eighth with a walk against Lipscomb reliever Wyatt Folsom before being lifted for pinch-runner Aaron Hughes. Hughes advanced to second on a passed ball and, after Folsom got Conner Pohl swinging, Brookman singled to left to plate Hughes with the tying run before advancing to second on the throw. Folsom then got Karaffa to line out to center but Bauer followed with a ground-ball single through the right side, scoring Brookman with the go-ahead run.

LIPSCOMB WALKS OFF IN NINTH
Right-hander Bayden Root came in for the eighth and retired the first four batters he faced before a walk to Bashlor and an infield single by Houghton put runners on first and second with one out. Williams followed with a single to right-center to score Bashlor to tie it and Preston blooped a single to right to plate Houghton with the game-winning run.

Notes
– Pohl extended his reached-base streak to a team-high seven games.
– Lonsway notched his third double-digit strikeout game in as many starts this season and his seventh in 20 career starts.

Another brilliant start for Lonsway.

The left-hander's line: 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 13 K (100 pitches, 65 strikes)#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/0KbuCAj2Nf

— Ohio State Baseball (@OhioStateBASE) February 29, 2020

– Brookman picked up his first multi-hit game in a Buckeye uniform.
– Brock has not allowed an earned run in 5.1 innings over three appearances while Gahm has tossed 3.1 innings over six appearances without allowing an earned run.