No. 25 Baseball Beats North Florida to Stay Unbeaten – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/1/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 1, 2002
Box Score
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Rightfielder Doug Deeds (So., Bexley, Ohio/Bexley) broke a scoreless tie in the seventh inning with an RBI single that scored shortstop Brett Garrard (So., Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) and then catcher Joe Wilkins (Sr., Grove City, Ohio/Dublin Scioto) hit a two-run homer as No. 25 Ohio State claimed a 3-0 victory over North Florida, ranked No. 4 in Division II, Friday night at Harmon Stadium.
It was a pitchers dual for most of the game, but Ohio State broke a scoreless tie in the top of the seventh inning when Deeds hit a liner to short right with two outs to score Garrard who walked to lead off the inning. Centerfielder Mike Rabin (Fr., West Chester, Ohio/Lakota East) bunted Garrard over to second.
Second baseman Christian Snavely (So., Defiance, Ohio/Defiance) led off the eighth with a base hit to right field and then Wilkins came to the plate had deposited a Brian Rauch 2-2 offering off the score board in left-center field.
Ohio State lefty Scott Lewis (Fr., Washington Court House, Ohio/Washington) picked up his first win for the Buckeyes in his second career start. He pitched 6 1/3 innings giving up six hits while striking out five batters and walking two. Mike Madsen (Fr., Chesterland, Ohio/Notre Dame Cathedral Latin) picked up his first save as a Buckeye. Ohio State threw four freshmen in getting the win to improve to 4-0-1. Matt Incinelli got the loss for North Florida. It was his first loss of the season in five starts.
Lewis struggled in the first inning giving up three consecutive hits to load the bases before getting help in the field as Ben Johannng grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Ospreys also ended the second inning hitting into a double play. Ohio State downed North Florida in order in the third and fourth innings and allow them to threat until the bottom of the seventh. After a Ricky Willis strikeout to start the inning, back-to-back hits and a walk loaded the bases before lefty Chris Hanners (Fr., Groveport, Ohio/Desales) got Alden Watson to fly out foul and Scott Bridges to pop out.
The Buckeyes threatened in the fifth inning. Lance Rolston (Jr., Athens, Ohio/Alexander) led off the inning with a base hit and was moved over to second by Garrard who bunted. Designated hitter Drew Anderson (So., Bloomdale, Ohio/Elmwood) singled to right field, but a throw by Willis was on the mark to catcher Jesse Collins, who had successfully blocked the plate, preventing Rolston from scoring.
Ohio State stranded nine base runners and North Florida., which fell to 12-4 on the year, failed to score any of their 10 base runners.
The Buckeyes continue their three-game trip to Jacksonville, Fla., with a 1 p.m. start at Jacksonville Saturday. The trip concludes Sunday when Ohio State will play The Citadel at North Florida’s Harmon Stadium. Lefty Josh Newman (So., Wheelersburg, OhioWheelersburg) will start in Saturday’s game and Buckeyes’ ace E.J. Laratta (Sr., Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek) will start Sunday against The Citadel.
