Ohio State
5-3, 5-3
Nebraska
5-2, 5-2
Buckeyes Play Long Ball in 6-4 Win Over Nebraska
3/14/2021 2:52:00 PM | Baseball
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Ohio State got a trio of two-run homers and a strong outing from starter Will Pfennig as the Buckeyes earned a split this weekend with a 6-4 win over Nebraska.
After dropping the first two games on Friday, the Buckeyes rebounded with two wins and are now 5-3 through the first two weekends. Nebraska lost for just the second time this season.
Junior Will Pfennig allowed a pair of runs on four hits in the first inning but then settled in. He retired the next 15 batters and left the game with two outs and a 4-2 lead in the seventh. The Mason, Ohio native went 6.2 innings, allowing just the two runs on five hits with six strikeouts and no walks.
At the plate, the Buckeyes got a two-run home in the top of the fourth from freshman Kade Kern and another two-run bomb to left by Sam Wilson in fifth. After Nebraska tied the game, Colton Bauer hit his first home run of the year, a line shot to straight away center in the top of the eighth, to give the Buckeyes a 6-4 lead.
Junior TJ Brock game on to work a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth for his second save in as many days.
Nebraska grabbed the early lead in the bottom of the first with two runs on four hits. Pfennig did well to limit the damage to just two runs. A 1-2-3 second inning help settle him into the game and he was rolling after that.
Kern's blast to straight away center over the 400-foot sign tied the game at 2-2 in the fourth. That followed a Zach Dezenzo single to lead off the inning. The homer was the first of Kern's career and it came in just his eighth collegiate game.
Just a bomb to straight-away center for Kade Kern!!
OSU 2
NEB 2
Top 4th pic.twitter.com/K4nAAt2UEY— Ohio State Baseball (@OhioStateBASE) March 14, 2021
Just an inning later, Nick Erwin singled to start the inning and Wilson clubbed his second homer of the weekend into the left field seats. That put the Buckeyes up 4-2.
Get off me!! Another from Sam Wilson, his second homer of the weekend.
OSU 4
NEB 2
Top 5th pic.twitter.com/GuOZO8rUxG— Ohio State Baseball (@OhioStateBASE) March 14, 2021
In the seventh, Bayden Root came on with two outs in relief of Pfennig and after a passed ball scored one run, Logan Foster homered to left on a line drive to even the game again at 4-4.
After the first two guys got out in the top of the eighth, Kern walked and Bauer followed with a shot to deep center. The Husker centerfielder seemed to have a beat on it, but the ball kept carrying right over the wall for a two-out, two-run homer. That was Bauer's first home run as a Buckeye.
Buckeyes answer back with a 2-out, 2-run HR from Colten Bauer!!
OSU 6
NEB 4
Top 8th pic.twitter.com/P7mn3cdbX2— Ohio State Baseball (@OhioStateBASE) March 14, 2021
Senior captain Griffan Smith made his first appearance of the season and worked a scoreless eighth with two strikeouts. Brock then shut it down in the ninth for his second save of the season.
The Buckeyes will head to Piscataway, N.J. next weekend for a three-game series with Rutgers. First pitch Friday is set for 2 p.m.
#GoBuckeyes
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Root, Bayden (2-0)
L: Bragg, Braxton (0-1)
S: Brock, TJ (2)
Batting:
2B: Ernst, Marcus 1
HR: Wilson, Sam 1 ; Kern, Kade 1 ; Bauer, Colton 1
RBI: Wilson, Sam 2 ; Kern, Kade 2 ; Bauer, Colton 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Wilson, Sam 1 ; Dezenzo, Zach 1 ; Kern, Kade 2 ; Bauer, Colton 1 ; Erwin, Nick 1
CS: Bauer, Colton 1
Batting:
2B: Schwellenbach, S. 1
HR: Foster, Logan 1
RBI: Schwellenbach, S. 1 ; Steil, Jack 1 ; Foster, Logan 1
SH: Everitt, Griffin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hagge, Mojo 1 ; Schwellenbach, S. 1 ; Banjoff, Leighton 1 ; Foster, Logan 1
