Baseball Loses to Akron, 9-8 – Ohio State Buckeyes
4/25/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 25, 2001%^$
%^$%^$%^$Box Score%^$%^$%^$%^$
%^$COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State baseball team (30-11 overall, 11-5 Big Ten) lost to the Akron Zips (8-26 overall), 9-8 Wednesday in front of 677 at Bill Davis Stadium. The Zips scored six runs in the first two innings and the Buckeyes never recovered. Doug Deeds (Fr., Bexley, Ohio) paced the OSU offense, going 2-for-5 with two doubles and four runs batted in.%^$
%^$ Akron posted a run in the first inning. Ty Moorhead scored when Jim Gemler reached base on an error to give the Zips a 1-0 lead.%^$
%^$ Ohio State came right back in the bottom half of the opening frame. Mike Harris (Sr., Hillsborough, N.C.) drew a walk to lead off. With one out, Doug Dendinger (Jr., Greenwich, Ohio) was hit by a pitch and one out later both runners came home on a double to left-center field by Deeds.%^$
%^$ The Zips responded with a five-run second inning off OSU starter Jason Bullens (So., Dayton, Ohio). With one out, Craig Welch hit a single to left-center field. He moved to third on a double by Lou Pederi and both runners came home on a double by Brady Steineck. After a walk to Moorhead, Bowers brought both runners home with a double to right-center. Gemler followed with a run-scoring single off reliever Kyle Blachuta (Fr., Bloomdale, Ohio) to push the Zips’ lead to 6-2.%^$
%^$ In the bottom of the third inning, OSU cut the Akron lead to 6-4. Nick Swisher (So., Parkersburg, W.Va.) led off with a single. Two batters later, he moved to third base on a double by Steve Caravati (Fr., Dover, Ohio). Brett Garrard (Fr., Brownsburg, Ind.) followed and cleared the bases with a single to left field.%^$
%^$ In the top of the fourth inning, Akron added a run when Steve Bowers scored on a sacrifice fly by Clarke White. In the bottom half of the inning, OSU added a pair of runs. With two outs and Harris and Dendinger on base courtesy of walks, Deeds belted a double to right field to clear the bases and cut the Akron lead to 7-6.%^$
%^$ The Buckeyes tied the game in the bottom half of the fifth inning. Garrard led off and reached base on a fielding error by Akron third baseman Craig Welch. Garrard then moved to third base courtesy of another error by Welch on a groundball by Trent McIlvain (Sr., Louisville, Ohio). Chris Alvord (Sr., Mentor, Ohio) stepped to the plate and dropped a perfect sacrifice bunt to plate Garrard and tie the game at seven.%^$
%^$ Akron retook the lead in the top of the sixth inning when Moorhead scored on a sacrifice fly by White.%^$
%^$ The Zips added their final run of the game on a RBI single by Lou Pederi.%^$
%^$ In the bottom of the ninth inning, OSU attempted a rally. Todd Calcamuggio (Sr., Toledo, Ohio) scored on a pinch-hit single by Christian Snavely (Fr., Defiance, Ohio), but the Buckeyes fell one run short.%^$
%^$ Both starting pitchers did not factor into the decision. OSU’s Bullens went 1.1 innings, gave up six hits, six runs (five earned) and recorded one strikeout. Reliever Kyle Brown (So., Washington Court, Ohio) took the loss. His record drops to 4-1 this season after giving up one run in an inning of work Akron’s Aaron Gangi went 2.1 innings, gave up four runs (all earned), walked three and recorded three strikeouts. Reliever Ben McCauley earned the win (3-5), while Dan Swallie notched his second save.%^$
%^$This weekend, Ohio State plays host to Minnesota in a crucial four-game Big Ten series. The Golden Gophers enter the series first in the Big Ten, while the third-place Buckeyes are a game back in the loss column. The series opens Friday night at 6:35 p.m.
