Baseball Rallies to Defeat Penn State, 9-8 and Win the Series, 3-1 – Ohio State Buckeyes
5/8/2000 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 8, 2000
Box Score
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Down 8-4 in the top of the seventh inning, the Ohio State baseball team (33-19 overall, 13-11 in the Big Ten) rallied for five runs in the final three innings to defeat the Penn State Nittany Lions, (36-12 overall, 16-7 in the Big Ten), 9-8. Marcello Garofalo (Sr., Worthington, Ohio) hammered a key pinch hit, three-run home run in the seventh and Nick Swisher (Fr., Parkersburg, W.Va.) drove in the game-winning run in the eighth inning to supply the offense. Kevin Wynk (Fr., Coldwater, Ohio) pitched four innings of relief to improve to 2-1 and Cory Cox (Jr., Chillicothe, Ohio) slammed the door with two shutout innings of relief to earn his eighth save of the year. With the victory, OSU wins the four-game series, 3-1.
“This was a big win for us,” head coach Bob Todd said. “To come to the first place team’s home and win a series is a great accomplishment for any team. We made some key plays and had some big hits. I’m proud that this team didn’t give up after they took the four run lead. Good teams find ways to win and we did that today.”
The series win is the second of the season for the Buckeyes and the first series loss of the season for the Nittany Lions.
The Nittany Lions gave OSU an early gift in the top of the first inning. With one out, Mike Check (Jr., Bay Village, Ohio) reached base on a bad throw by PSU shortstop John Richmond. Chad Ehrnsberger (Jr., Kalida, Ohio) followed Check’s lead and grounded another ball to Richmond who proceeded to misplay the hop, sending the ball into shallow center field. The error allowed Check to score from first base and put Ehrnsberger on second. Jason Turner (Sr., Versailles, Ohio) then sent Ehrnsberger home with an opposite field double to give OSU a 2-0 lead.
In the top of the third inning, OSU added two more runs to its lead. Jason Driscoll (Sr., Middlefield, Ohio) led off with an infield single. Two outs later, Turner and John Mayor (Jr., Chesterfield, Mo.) followed with back-to-back walks to load the bases. Hot-hitting Swisher immediately followed with a blistering single to center field to score Driscoll and Turner and increase the OSU lead to 4-0.
In the bottom half of the third inning, PSU added its first run of the ballgame on a sacrifice fly by Donnie Wright to cut the OSU lead to 4-1.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Penn State tied the game at four. Eric Spadt had a one-run single and he later scored along with Joe Puliafico on a throwing error by OSU catcher Chris Alvord (Jr., Mentor, Ohio).
In the bottom of the sixth inning, PSU took its first lead of the game. John Richmond hit a one-run single and Shawn Fagan hit a three-run home run off Wynk to take an 8-4 lead.
In the top of the seventh inning, OSU added three runs. Turner led off with a double to right field. Two batters later, Swisher singled to left field to put runners at first and third base. The Buckeyes then sent pinch hitter Garofalo to the plate. The OSU co-captain came through in the clutch by hammering a 2-0 offering from PSU reliever Scott Russo over the left field wall for a three-run home run. The blast cut the Penn State lead to 8-7.
In the top of the eighth inning, OSU put on its rally caps again. Driscoll led off with a double and quickly advanced to third when Check attempted a sacrifice bunt but reached base on a throwing error by PSU pitcher Russo. Ehrnsberger then sent a grounder to Fagan who then threw out Driscoll attempting to score in a run down at the home plate. PSU reliever Mike Watson then intentionally walked Turner to load the bases for Mayor. OSU then tied the game when Mayor coaxed a walk on five pitches. Swisher followed and gave the Buckeyes their second lead of the ballgame on a sacrifice fly to score Ehrnsberger. Swisher’s third run batted in of the afternoon gave OSU a 9-8 lead.
Both starting pitchers did not factor into the decision. OSU’s Brandon Steen (So., Hendersonville, Tenn.) went three innings, gave up seven hits, four runs and struck out a pair. Wynk gave up four hits, four runs and struck out four batters. Cox gave up just two hits and struck out one. PSU’s Justin Nash went three innings, gave up four hits, four runs, two earned runs and walked four. Russo (3-1) took the loss.
“We still have a lot of season left,” Cox said. “To a man, we feel like we’ve underachieved at times this season and we believe we are a lot better than our record. Coming to Penn State and winning the series is a truer measure of the type of team we have.”
With the win, the Buckeyes remain in fifth place in the Big Ten. Penn state is currently in second place.
On Friday, OSU begins a four-game series when it plays host to Michigan State at 6:35 p.m., in Bill Davis Stadium.
