Laratta and McIlvain Shine as Baseball Beats Northwestern, 4-2 – Ohio State Buckeyes
5/18/2000 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 18, 2000%^$%^$
%^$%^$Box Score%^$%^$%^$%^$
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – %^$When Ohio State baseball head coach Bob Todd told ace pitcher E.J. Laratta (So., Englewood, Ohio) that he would not start game one of the Big Ten Tournament, the second team all-Big Ten selection responded by proclaiming, “I’ll win whatever game you throw me in.” True to his word, Laratta started OSU’s elimination game against the Northwestern Wildcats and responded by throwing an efficient complete-game to help lead the Buckeyes to a 4-2 win at Siebert Field. Trent McIlvain (Jr., Louisville, Ohio) shined by going 3-for-3 with three runs scored. Tomorrow, the Buckeyes will play the loser of the Penn State vs. Illinois contest at 9:30 p.m.%^$
%^$”Jason Turner came through with the home run that ignited our offense,” Todd said. “Trent (McIlvain) made great plays both offensively and defensively and E.J. (Laratta) threw strikes and got the job done.”%^$
%^$In the bottom of third inning, OSU took a 1-0 lead. Trent McIlvain (Jr., Louisville, Ohio) led off with a single to left field. He quickly advanced two bases courtesy of back-to-back groundouts by Chris Alvord (Jr., Mentor, Ohio) and Jason Driscoll (Sr., Middlefield, Ohio). Mike Check (Jr., Bay Village, Ohio) then gave OSU its first lead of the ballgame with a single down the left field line to score McIlvain.%^$
%^$The Wildcats quickly responded and tied the game in the top of the fourth inning. J.P. Williamson led off with a single and later scored when Joe Hietpas hit into a double-play.%^$
%^$In the bottom half of the fourth inning, the Buckeyes regained the lead. With one out, first-team all-Big Ten selection Jason Turner (Sr., Versailles, Ohio) took a 1-0 offering from NU starting pitcher Gabe Ribas over the right field wall for his 16th home run of the season. The solo blast gave Turner sole possession of the Big Ten home run lead.%^$
%^$In the bottom of the fifth inning, OSU added another run to its lead. McIlvain again led off the inning with a single to left field. Two batters later, he moved to third base on a perfectly executed hit-and-run by Driscoll. Check then drove in his second run of the ballgame on a sacrifice fly to plate McIlvain and increase the OSU lead to 3-1.%^$
%^$In the bottom half of the seventh inning, the Buckeyes added another run. With one out, McIlvain continued to swing a hot bat with a double to the right field alley. Two batters later, Driscoll delivered with a two-out single to right field to score McIlvain and give OSU a 4-1 egde.%^$
%^$Northwestern chipped away at the OSU lead in the top of the eighth inning with a one-run single by Jeremy Kurella to cut the OSU lead to 4-2.%^$
%^$Laratta went nine innings, gave up nine hits, two runs and struck out three. His record improves to 7-5. Ribas (7-4) also threw a complete-game and gave up 10 hits and four runs. The contest lasted 1:37 and set a record for the fastest game in the history of the Big Ten Tournament.
