Six Days Later, Baseball Breaks 1-1 Tie and Defeats Vermont, 5-1 – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/24/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 24, 2001
Box Score
Bradenton, Fla. – After a six-day wait, the Ohio State baseball team (13-4 overall) and Vermont Catamounts resumed its 1-1 game suspended on March 18 because of rain at Lakewood Ranch Field. The Buckeyes proved more than ready for the morning restart scoring four runs in the top of the ninth courtesy of three Vermont errors. Joe Wilkins (Jr., Grove City, Ohio) drove in the winning run with a sacrifice fly and stopper Cory Cox (Sr., Chillicothe, Ohio) closed the door by pitching a perfect ninth inning to earn his first win of the season. It took OSU 33 minutes to defeat the Catamounts, 5-1.
“My job was easy,” Cox said. “The team came out and got the job done. A tie really doesn’t do any good for us so we are glad we were able to complete this game.”
OSU avoided its first tie ballgame since March 21, 1990.
The game picked up where it left off in the top of the ninth inning. The Buckeyes quickly went on the attack and loaded the bases with just one out. Wilkins broke the tie and scored Steve Caravati (Fr., Dover, Ohio) on a sacrifice fly to center field. Trent McIlvain (Sr., Louisville, Ohio) followed and plated two runs on a fielding error by Vermont shortstop Scott Bourhill. The sloppy defense continued for the Catmounts when another run scored on an error by centerfielder Jeff Barry to increase the OSU lead to 5-1.
On March 18, the Buckeyes took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning. With the bases loaded, Doug Dendinger (Jr., Greenwich, Ohio) took a free pass from Vermont starting pitcher Brian Robinson to score Mike Harris (Sr., Hillsborough, N.C.) from third base and give OSU the first run of the game.
In the bottom of the seventh inning the Catamounts tied the game. With one out, Jeff Barry scored on a sacrifice fly by Michael Cole to give UV its first run of the game.
OSU starting pitcher Greg Prenger (So., Harpster, Ohio) was solid. He went 7.2 innings, gave up just five hits and an unearned run. Cox pitched the final out of the eighth inning and the ninth inning to earn the win.
