OSU Rallies Behind Stafford’s Flawless Relief Effort – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/24/1998 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 24, 1998
FT. MYERS, Fla. – The Ohio State baseball team went undefeated (5-0) in the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic, winning its final game against Central Connecticut State, 7-3 tonight at Terry Park.
Mike Stafford (Sr., Canton, Mich.) pitched 5.1 innings in relief, not allowing a hit while striking out a career-high seven batters. This was the left hander’s finest effort since pitching 4.2 innings of relief in the Big Ten Tournament championship game that sealed a NCAA tournament berth.
Central Connecticut opened up a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning as Ken Pruchnicki took Phil Vogelmeier (Sr., Newark, Ohio) deep to right field. Ohio State immediately took the lead away, scoring twice in its first at bat. Mike Lockwood (So., Powell, Ohio) doubled to right field to lead off the inning and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Mark Carek (Sr., Bowling Green, Ohio) followed with a walk and stole second, moving to third on a wild pitch that allowed Lockwood to score. Carek came home when Mike Kremblas (Sr., Carroll, Ohio) singled to left field.
The Buckeyes tacked on another run in the second inning, loading the bases and forcing Central Connecticut to make a pitching change. OSU managed just one run, however, as Jason Turner (So., Versailles, Ohio) scored after reaching first on an error, advancing to third on a single by Chad Ehrnsberger (Fr., Kalida, Ohio) and coming home on Lockwood’s single to left. CCSU tied the game 3-3 in the top of the fourth, scoring twice.
Vogelmeier proceeded to load the bases and Felix Ramos Jr. Doubled to center field, scoring Glen Simmarrian and Matt O’Gorman. Vogelmeier eventually gave way to Stafford, who retired the final batter of the inning.
The Buckeyes broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the sixth inning, scoring three times to take a 6-3 lead. Turner led off the inning with a single to right center field and was sacrificed over to second by Ehrnsberger. Trent McIlvain (Louisville, Ohio) moved him to third, singling to right field and Lockwood brought him home with a pop-up that dropped for a single in shallow right center field.
Dan Seimetz (Sr., Massillon, Ohio) brought in the second and third runs of the inning when he ripped a double to right field for his third hit if the day. Jason Driscoll (So., Middlefield, Ohio) singled to left field to lead off the seventh inning and scored when Ehrnsberger tripled to right, moving the score to 7-3.
OSU moves to 12-4 on the year and opens Big Ten play this weekend in Evanston, Ill. against Northwestern.
