Baseball Rallies to Defeat Vermont, 7-4 – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/17/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 17, 2001
Box Score
BRADENTON, Fla. – The Ohio State baseball team (8-4 overall) withstood an uncharacteristic sloppy defensive evening and defeated the Vermont Catamounts (0-1 overall), 7-4, at Wynn Field. The Buckeyes were charged with a season high five errors but offset the poor defense with some clutch hitting and superb work by Jason Bullens (So., Dayton, Ohio) and Brandon Steen (Jr., Hendersonville, Tenn.) from the bullpen. The duo earned the win and save, respectively.
“We didn’t play our best game but we found a way to win,” head coach Bob Todd said. “This team did not quit and kept fighting through its mistakes. We can play better but we’ll take the win.”
The Buckeyes scored the first runs of the ballgame in the bottom half of the third inning. Christian Snavely (Fr., Defiance, Ohio) led off with a single and advanced to second base on a fielding error by Vermont centerfielder Kyle Rickert. A pair of wild pitches by Andy Cummings quickly plated Snavely and gave OSU the first run of the game. After a walk by Nick Swisher (So., Parkersburg, W.Va.) to put a runner at first base, Doug Dendinger (Jr., Greenwich, Ohio) belted the first offering from Cummings over the right field wall to increase the OSU lead to 3-0. The home run was his third of the season.
The Catamounts answered in the top of the fourth inning. With two outs, Dennis Moser hit a two-run single to cut the OSU lead to 3-2.
In the top of the fifth inning, sloppy play by the OSU defense gave the Catamounts took their first lead of the game. Three Ohio State errors led to a pair of runs to give Vermont a 4-3 lead.
But the OSU offense answered in the bottom half of the inning. With one out, pinch hitter Todd Calcamuggio (Sr., Toledo, Ohio) hit a double to left-center field. A single by John Mayor (Sr., Chesterfield, Mo.) pushed Calcamuggio to third base and a ground out by Joe Wilkins (Jr., Grove City, Ohio) scored the runner and tied the game at four.
In the bottom of the seventh inning a Vermont error gave back the lead to the Buckeyes. Steve Caravati (Fr., Dover, Ohio) led off with a walk. Two outs later, Wilkins hit a routine pop up to the left side of the infield, but Vermont third baseman Mike Cole and shortstop Scott Bourhill collided attempting to make a play on the ball. The misplay and allowed Caravati to score and gave OSU a 5-4 lead.
In the bottom of the eighth inning the Buckeyes added some insurance runs. Mike Harris (Sr., Hillsborough, N.C.) led off with a single and scored two batters later on a RBI single by Dendinger. Later in the inning, Swisher scored from third base on a dropped ball by Vermont first baseman Dan Ruane on a failed pick off attempt.
OSU starting pitcher Kevin Wynk (So., Coldwater, Ohio) did not factor into the decision. He went 4.1 innings, threw 67 pitches, gave up five hits, four runs (three earned) and recorded three strikeouts. Bullens picked up his first career win with 2.2 shutout innings of work. Steen pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth innings to pick up the save.
Vermont’s Andy Brayley went 1.1 innings in relief and was charged with the loss.
Tomorrow the Buckeyes continue their Spring Break trip with a doubleheader. OSU will play Vermont at 4 p.m. and Northwestern at 7:30 p.m.
