No. 24 Baseball Opens the Big Ten Season With a Win – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/30/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 30, 2001
Box Score
IOWA CITY, Iowa – In its first trip to Iowa City since 1992, the No. 24 Ohio State baseball team (18-4 overall, 1-0 Big Ten) rallied with three runs in the top of the sixth inning to defeat the Iowa Hawkeyes (8-8, 1-1 overall), 7-4. Led by a solid outing from starting pitcher E.J. Laratta (Jr., Englewood, Colo.), the Buckeyes increased their winning streak to 15 games and opened the 2001 Big Ten season with a victory in front of 122 at Duane Banks Field. The OSU ace went seven innings, threw 82 pitches and gave up three runs to improve to 5-1 on the season.
“Nothing was really working for me today,” Laratta said. “But my team made play after play after play. It’s great that we can start off this weekend and the Big Ten season with a win.”
The Hawkeyes jumped on the Buckeyes quickly, scoring two runs in the first inning. John Paul Cappellano ripped a double to the wall in left field to lead off the inning and scored on a Kurt Vitense sacrifice bunt. One out later, Brad Carlson drew a walk and scored two batters later on a single to center by Alex Dvorsky.
The Buckeyes evened the score in the third inning. Joe Wilkins (Jr., Grove City, Ohio) led off with a solid single to center field. One out later, Mike Harris (Sr., Hillsborough, N.C.) ripped a 1-1 hanging breaking ball over the left field fence to knot the score at two. The home run was Harris’ second of the season.
Iowa grabbed the lead back in the fourth inning, as Ian Mattiace lined a 1-0 Laratta pitch over the left-field wall to give the Hawkeyes a 3-2 lead.
In the top of the sixth inning, Ohio State took the lead for the first time, sending eight men to the plate while scoring three runs. Mike Check (Sr., Bay Village, Ohio) laced the first pitch to left field and promptly stole second base. After Nick Swisher (So., Parkersburg, W. Va.) walked, Doug Deeds (Fr., Bexley, Ohio) put down a perfect bunt on a 2-2 count and beat the throw to load the bases with no outs. Christian Snavley (Fr., Defiance, Ohio) then plated Check with a sacrifice fly to right field. Doug Dendinger (Jr., Greenwich, Ohio) followed with a RBI groundout, scoring Swisher. John Mayor (Sr., Chesterfield, Mo.) then greeted reliever Reed Pawelk with a run-scoring single to right field, giving Ohio State a 5-3 lead. The Buckeyes tacked on a pair of runs in the top of the seventh inning. Harris and Check led off with a pair of walks and a wild pitch by Pawelk moved both runners into scoring position. Nick Swisher (So., Parkersburg, W.Va.) followed and drove in Harris with a sacrifice fly. Two batters later, Snavely plated Check with a single to right field and increased the OSU lead to 7-3.
In the bottom of the ninth, Iowa added a run off OSU reliever Brandon Steen (Jr., Hendersonville, Tenn.). Steen pitched the final two innings of the contest.
Iowa starter Chad Blackwell (1-2) took the loss. He went 5.2 innings, threw 85 pitches, gave up six hits, five runs (all earned), walked a pair and recorded two strikeouts.
Tomorrow, Ohio State and Iowa will play a doubleheader. The first game begins at 1 p.m. at Banks Field. The teams wrap up the four-game series Sunday at 1 p.m.
