Baseball Slays Dragons 15-3 as Smith Strikes Out 12 – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 21, 1999
HOMESTEAD, Fla. – True Freshman right hander Nate Smith (Bryan, Ohio) posted a no-hitter through five innings as Ohio State (8-6) defeated Drexel (4-8) by a 15-3 decision Sunday Morning at the Homestead Challenge. Smith struck out a career-high 12 batters in seven innings pitched to record his first collegiate win.
Drexel had trouble fielding in the top of the second inning, allowing Ohio State to score three unearned runs for an early lead. Jason Driscoll (Jr., Middlefield, Ohio) reached first on a fielders choice and moved to second on the play when the Dragons failed to complete the double play. He moved to third on another Drexel error and scored when Matt Middleton (Sr., Conover, Ohio) grounded out to second base. John Mayor (So., Chesterfield, Mo.) reached first when third baseman Ryan Lucas bobbled a short hopper. Mayor then stole second and Joe Wilkins (Fr., Commercial Point, Ohio) was hit by Kevin Fitzpatrick for a free bag. Fitzpatrick then loaded the bases by walking Trent McIlvain (So., Louisville, Ohio) and Mike Lockwood (Jr., Powell, Ohio) brought in two runs (Mayor and Wilkins) with a single to right for a 3-0 lead.
In the top of the third, OSU manufactured a fourth run with another favor from Drexel, an error with two outs. Jason Turner (Jr., Versailles, Ohio) reached first when his hit went between Jason Wests legs and then stole second to move into scoring position. After walking Driscoll, Fitzpatrick served up a double to Middleton that brought Turner around to score. Driscoll was thrown out at the plate from the outfield to end the inning.
Drexel scored an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth inning, breaking the Buckeye shutout. West led off the inning with the Dragons first hit of the game, a single to left field. He then stole second and moved to third on an error by Tom Durant (Sr., Columbus, Ohio) attempting to throw him out. Jose Jimenez sacrificed him home with a fly out to left field, making the score 4-1 in favor of the Buckeyes.
The Scarlet and Gray increased its lead to 7-1 in the top of the eighth on the strength of a Lockwood homerun. With one out, Mayor ripped a double down he right field line and moved to third on a Wilkins single to left. Mayor scored when McIlvain grounded into a fielders choice and Lockwood brought in Wilkins with his second homerun of the season. Durant drew a walk and stole second for his team-leading fourth theft. Trott batted him in with a double to shallow right field, a high pop-up that Jimenez lost in the blazing Florida sun. Trott scored when Turner reached on Drexels fifth error of the game.
OSU added six runs in the ninth inning which included a two-run double by Wilkins and a three-run home run by Marcello Garofalo (Jr., Worthington, Ohio).
The Buckeyes will take Monday off to enjoy the pleasures provided by the Florida Keys and resume play against Dartmouth, Tuesday at 7 p.m.
