Baseball Takes 3-0 Series Lead Over Minnesota – Ohio State Buckeyes
4/28/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 28, 2001
Box Score
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Heading into the weekend, the Ohio State baseball team (33-11 overall, 14-5 in the Big Ten) knew that a series win over the Minnesota Golden Gophers (29-18 overall, 15-7 in the Big Ten) would be the only acceptable outcome if it intended to content for the Big Ten Conference title. Led by a masterpiece from starting pitcher Greg Prenger (Jr., Harpster, Ohio), the Buckeyes defeated the Gophers, 5-3, in front of 1,683 at Bill Davis Stadium. Prenger went 6.1 innings, scattered eight hits, gave up two runs, did not allow a walk and recorded five strikeouts. With the win, OSU sweeps a doubleheader and takes a 3-0 lead in the four-game series.
The Buckeyes went on the attack in the bottom of the first inning. Mike Harris (Sr., Hillsborough, N.C.) led off the inning with a bunt single. Mike Check (Sr., Bay Village, Ohio) followed and reached base when he was hit by a pitch from Jay Gagner. A walk by Doug Dendinger (Jr., Greenwich, Ohio) loaded the bases for Nick Swisher (So., Parkersburg, W.Va.), who then lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to plate Harris. Steve Caravati (Fr., Dover, Ohio) followed with a single to left field to score Check and give OSU a 2-0 lead.
In the bottom of the second inning, OSU added another run. With one out and Trent McIlvain (Sr., Louisville, Ohio) on third base, Check hit a sacrifice fly to left field to increase the OSU lead to 3-0.
The Buckeyes increased their lead to 5-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning. With one out and Harris on second, Dendinger lined a triple past centerfielder Sam Steidl to bring home a run. Minnesota then gave OSU a break when an errant throw by shortstop Scott Welch on a ball hit by Swisher allowed Dendinger to score.
Minnesota attempted a rally in the top of the seventh inning. Josh Holthaus hit a two run single to cut the OSU lead to 5-2. Kurt Haring added a RBI infield single to cut the lead to 5-3.
OSU reliever Cory Cox (Sr., Chillicothe, Ohio) recorded the final two outs of the game. Minnesota starting pitcher Jay Gagner (3-3) took the loss. He went 4.2 innings, gave up four hits, five runs (four earned), walked four batters and struck out one batter.
The Buckeyes now have won or tied every series in the five-year history of Bill Davis Stadium.
Tomorrow, the teams conclude the four-game series with a 1:05 p.m. contest.
