Fun Day at the Ballpark! Buckeyes Sweep Indiana

Saturday, April 3

Columbus, Ohio

Ohio State

11-7, 0

Indiana (Game 2)

11-6, 0

Indiana

Ohio State

Fun Day at the Ballpark! Buckeyes Sweep Indiana

4/3/2021 7:34:27 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

An amazing day for @SethLons #GoBuckeyes pic.twitter.com/0QjCUl8LMk

— Ohio State Baseball (@OhioStateBASE) April 3, 2021

GAME 1 BOX SCORE (PDF) | GAME 2 BOX SCORE (PDF) | SEASON STATS (PDF)

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State’s pitchers ruled the day as the Buckeye collected 28 strikeouts and limited league-leading Indiana to just two runs in a double-header sweep on Saturday afternoon at Bill Davis Stadium.

The Buckeyes (11-7) won game one 6-0 behind a 17-strikeout, complete game shutout from Seth Lonsway. In the night cap, the combo of Jack Neely, Griffan Smith and TJ Brock combined for 11 strikeouts and held IU to just two runs in a 5-2 victory.

At the plate, Zach Dezenzo, Mitchell Okuley and Kade Kern each had two hits. Dezenzo’s two hits both were solo home runs in the first inning of each game to get the Buckeyes jump-started. Conner Pohl also had a home run on the day.

Indiana came into the weekend with the best pitching staff (numbers wise) in the league and today, the Buckeye offense had just 10 hits in the two games. But they put the ball in play and took advantage of six Indiana errors on the afternoon.

The two teams will finish the four-game series on Easter Sunday. First pitch is slated for 2:05. Ohio State will start junior right-hander Will Pfennig while Indiana will counter with sophomore righty Gabe Biermann.

GAME 1 RECAP

Seth Lonsway. 17 strikeouts.

That’s it. That’s the story. Lonsway was dominant. The best start of his career. He worked quick and was efficient. The Celina, Ohio native three a complete-game two-hitter and recorded 17 strikeouts of the 21 outs in the game. The 17 Ks were a career-high and he walked just one batter while throwing 95 pitches.

Lonsway with an Immaculate Inning in the 2nd. 9 pitches, 9 strikes. 3 outs#GoBuckeyes pic.twitter.com/cswKasr5Wf

— Ohio State Baseball (@OhioStateBASE) April 3, 2021

The only outs that didn’t come via the strikeout was a double play up the middle in the fourth, a groundout to Erwin in the fifth and a lineout to Okuley in the seventh.

At the plate, the Buckeyes took advantage of four Hoosier miscues. Dezenzo and Pohl each hit solo home runs. Sam Wilson also had a two-run double and Colton Bauer had his first triple of the year.

Ohio State put a run on the board in the first on the Dezenzo homer and then get two unearned runs in the second. Wilson delivered his two-run double in the fourth to push the lead to 5-0 and then Pohl hit his home run in the sixth to provide the final margin.

Zach Dezenzo with a to center!! His third of the season.

IND 0
OSU 1
Bot 1st pic.twitter.com/XE62ao0qT9

— Ohio State Baseball (@OhioStateBASE) April 3, 2021

Not a lot of offense was needed when Lonsway was dealing the way he was on Saturday. It was fun to watch.

Pohl's 5th bomb of the year pushes the lead to 6-0!#GoBuckeyes pic.twitter.com/lKfCDz7O0q

— Ohio State Baseball (@OhioStateBASE) April 3, 2021

GAME 2 RECAP

Ohio State got another good start from Jack Neely and then Griffan Smith came out of the pen to deliver 3.1 scoreless innings. TJ Brock came on in the ninth to lock up his league-best sixth save of the season.

Okuley had two hits and two RBI in the game. His solo shot in the fourth was his team-high tying fifth of the season.

Just like in game one, Dezenzo started the scoring with a solo home run in the first inning. The game one homer was a bomb to center. This one was a fly by down the rightfield line that kept carrying and snuck inside the pole. Conner Pohl and Kade Kern followed with two-out walks and then Okuley hit a single through the right side to score Pohl and stake the Buckeyes to a 2-0 lead.

Three Ks in the top of the 1st.
Dezenzo homers in the bottom of the 1st.

Game 2 starting just like Game 1 #GoBuckeyes pic.twitter.com/C8quaIvUir

— Ohio State Baseball (@OhioStateBASE) April 3, 2021

Indiana cut the lead in half with a solo home run to center by Grant Macciocchi in the top of the fourth but then Okuley hit a solo shot in the bottom of the inning to again give the Buckeyes a two-run lead.

Mitchell Okuley!!
@Okluley24

Buckeyes answer right back and lead 3-1 after 4 innings. pic.twitter.com/78pJybiNUD

— Ohio State Baseball (@OhioStateBASE) April 3, 2021

Another solo homer for Indiana in the top of the fifth, this time it was a bomb off the bat of Cole Barr, cut the lead down to one again at 3-2. The score stayed that way, thanks to the superb work by Smith, until the bottom of the seventh. That’s when the Buckeyes loaded the bases with nobody out. Dezenzo hit a grounder to third and the third-baseman threw home for the force and the first out in the inning. Pohl them followed with a hard grounder up the middle. Short stop Macciocchi looked to have a beat on an inning-ending double play but the ball went under his glove and into center field. The error allowed two runs to score and the Buckeyes finally had some breathing room.

Two HUGE insurance runs on the grounder by Pohl.

Buckeyes lead 5-2 after 7 innings. #GoBuckeyes pic.twitter.com/lQjN049ObF

— Ohio State Baseball (@OhioStateBASE) April 3, 2021

Brock loaded the bases in the ninth but shut the door with a pop-up and the Buckeyes had their first double-header sweep of the Hoosiers since April of 2007.

#GoBuckeyes