Fry Surpasses Arlin as All-Time Strikeout Leader in Buckeye Victory – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/19/1999 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 19, 1999
HOMESTEAD, Fla. – With his sixth strikeout of the game in the fourth inning, Justin Fry (Sr., Munhall, Pa.) surpassed College World Series MVP Steve Arlin (294 from 1965-66) on the career strikeout ledger, leading the Buckeyes (6-5) to a 9-1 victory over Rider (2-6) at the Homestead Challange.
%^$Fry looked sharp right out of the gate, striking out seven batters in the first four innings and finished with 7.0 innings of three-hit, zero-walk, 12-strikeout, shutout ball for a new school record of 301 career knockouts.
%^$It took four innings before either team could produce any offense, but the Buckeyes put up the first runs, scoring four runs in the top of the fourth innning. Tom Durant (Sr., Columbus, Ohio) led of the inning with e double to right centerfield and Jason Trott (Sr., Dublin, Ohio) was hit by a pitch, giving OSU runners with no outs. Chad Ehrnsberger (So., Kalida, Ohio) sacrificed both runners into scoring position, laying a bunt down the third base line. Jason Turner (Jr., Versailles, Ohio) cleared the bags with a single into left field and Matt Middleton (Sr., Conover, Ohio) followed with the third hit if the inning, a single to left. Both Turner and Middleton scored when Jason Driscoll (Jr., Middlefield, Ohio) roped a shot down the third base line the skipped over the bag, staying fair for a two-run single.
%^$Ehrnsberger led of the Buckeye sixth with a single right up the middle and followed with a stolen base. Turner then smoked a ball down the right field line that scooted out of the gate in right field for a ground-rule double. Ehrnsberger scored on the play, giving OSU a five-run lead. Turner scored later in the inning, when Doug Dendinger (Fr., Greenwich, Ohio) grounded out to second.
%^$Mike Lockwood (Jr., Powell, Ohio) led of the Buckeye seventh with a single to centerfield and Durant followed with a walk. Trott grounded into a double that moved Lockwood to third, who scored when Ehrnsberger reached on an error, keeping the inning alive. Turner then homered to left centerfield, giving the Buckeyes 9-0 lead.
%^$True freshman Joe Palazzo (Tucson, Ariz.) entered as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning and recorded his first collegiate hit, a single to right field.
%^$Rider picked up an unearned run in the bottom of the eighth as Greg Larrick (Fr., North Canton, Ohio) entered in relief of Fry.
%^$The Buckeyes play Liberty and Uconn Saturday.
