No. 22 Baseball Loses Series Finale to Illinois, 9-6 – Ohio State Buckeyes
4/8/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 8, 2001
Box Score
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 22 Ohio State baseball team (23-7 overall, 6-2 in the Big Ten) and the Illinois Fighting Illini (16-15 overall, 5-6 in the Big Ten) combined for 13 runs in the final two innings. But the Buckeyes found themselves on the short end of the scoreboard as they lose the series finale to the Fighting Illini, 9-6 in front of 1,113 at Bill Davis Stadium. The Buckeyes still win the four-game series, 3-1.
In the bottom half of the second inning, the Buckeyes took the first lead of the ballgame. With one out, Nick Swisher (So., Parkersburg, W.Va.) took a 1-0 fastball from Illinois starting pitcher Josh Gold and slammed it off the right field scoreboard. The solo home run was his league leading 10th of the season.
OSU increased its lead to 2-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning. Mike Harris (Sr., Hillsborough, N.C.) led off with a triple to center field. Mike Check (Sr., Bay Village, Ohio) followed and singled home Harris with a liner to right field.
OSU starting pitcher Josh Newman (Fr., Wheelersburg, Ohio) was cruising with a four-hit shutout before a rough eighth inning. The Fighting Illini took the lead with six runs off five hits but got help from a costly error by Harris at second base. Five of the six runs were unearned.
But the Buckeyes refused to go down in the bottom half of the inning. Swisher led off with a walk and moved to second base two batters later on a single by John Mayor (Sr., Chesterfield, Mo.). Joe Wilkins (Jr., Grove City, Ohio) followed and loaded the bases when he was hit by a pitch from Gold. Two batters later, Harris took a 3-1 offering from reliever Reilly Smith and hammered it over the left field wall for a grand slam home run. The blast tied the game at six.
In the top of the ninth inning, Illinois retook the lead with three runs. Andy Schutzenhofer, Rob Fischer and Luke Simmons drove in the runs.
Both starting pitchers did not factor into the decision. OSU’s Newman went 7.2 innings, threw 106 pitches, allowed nine hits, six runs (one earned), walked one and recorded five strikeouts. Gold went 7.1 innings, gave up 11 hits, five runs (all earned), walked three and recorded six strikeouts. OSU reliever Brandon Steen (Jr., Hendersonville, Tenn.) took the loss (2-2). He went 0.2 innings and gave up three runs. Smith (3-3) was the winner for Illinois.
Under head coach Bob Todd, OSU has now won or tied 81-of-93 conference series in his 14-year tenure.
Tuesday, the Buckeyes return to Bill Davis Stadium when they play host to Ohio Wesleyan at 6:35 p.m.
