Scarlet Goes Ahead in World Series on Laratta’s Complete Game – Ohio State Buckeyes
10/15/1998 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
October 15, 1998
Box Score
COLUMBUS, Ohio – In what was the best game of the World Series, the Scarlet went ahead 2-1-1 for the with a 4-2 victory Thursday afternoon at Bill Davis Stadium.
Freshman right hander E.J. Laratta (Englewood, Colo.) went the distance for the Scarlet, hurling 9.0 innings of six-hit, two-run, seven-strikeout ball. Mike Lockwood (Jr., Powell, Ohio) started things of early for the Gray squad, homering in the top of the first inning. With two out, Lockwood took a 2-1 Laratta pitch over the right field wall for a 1-0 lead. The Scarlet jumped out to a 2-1 lead in the bottom half of the inning as Jason Driscoll (Jr., Middlefield, Ohio) scored on Chad Ehrnsberger’s (So., Kalida, Ohio) sacrifice fly to right after singling, stealing second and advancing to third on a wild pitch by Brandon Steen (Hendersonville, Tenn.). Jason Trott (Sr., Dublin, Ohio), who had walked, scored the go-ahead run when Joey Palazzo (Fr., Tucson, Ariz.) singled to right. Matt Middleton (Sr., Conover, Ohio) tied the game in the top of the second after a leadoff double. He reached third on a fielder’s choice and scored when Marcello Garofalo (Jr., Columbus, Ohio) grounded to short and reached first. Trevor Vaught (Fr., Canton, Ohio) singled to lead off the Scarlet eighth and stole second. The speedster advanced to third when Driscoll reached safely on a throwing error by Steen and scored the winning run on the miscue. Steen gave way to Justin Fry (Sr., Munhall, Pa.), but was credited with the second run of the inning when Driscoll stole third and scored when Chris Alvord (So., Mentor, Ohio) singled down the third base line. Fry shut down the Scarlet for the remainder of the inning, but Laratta finished as strong, retiring the final three Gray batters for the win.
“It looks like we’ve got a couple of freshman who can pitch,” said head coach Bob Todd of the rookies on the mound.
