Ohio State Claims 8-5 Victory Friday’s Suspended Game – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/30/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 30, 2002
Box Score
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Second baseman Christian Snavely (So., Defiance, Ohio/Defiance) hit home runs in consecutive at bats in the fourth and sixth innings helping guide No. 21 Ohio State to an 8-5 victory over Northwestern in a game that had been suspened Friday night because of heavy rain that moved through the Columbus area.
The game picked up where it left off Friday night with David Gresky at the plate facing a 2-2. The only difference when play resumed was that E.J. Laratta (Sr., Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek), who started the game Friday night, was lifted in favor of Josh Newman (So., Wheelersburg, Ohio/Wheelersburg).
Northwestern took a 1-0 lead in the third inning on a double by shortstop John Mikrut to the gap in right-centerfield that scored Todd Morgan who singled to centerfield. Morgan moved into scoring position on the same play on a fielding error by Nick Swisher (Jr., Parkersburg, W.Va./Parkersburg).
Ohio State immediately tied the game in the bottom half of the inning on a home run over the fence in right field. Snavely gave the Buckeyes the lead in the fourth inning with his second home run of the season. He deposited the first pitch from Northwestern starter Gabe Ribas over the leftfield fence that also scored Swisher on the play. Swisher doubled to left field to start the inning.
The Wildcats scored three times in the fifth inning to take a 4-3 lead. Back-to-back walks by Newman set the stage for Mikrut’s two RBI double. Steve Haake’s sacrifice fly to centerfield scored Mikrut, who had moved to third on a balk by Newman. Snavely hit his second home run of the game and his third of the season to pull the Buckeyes and Wildcats even in the sixth. It was the second time this season that an OSU player hit home runs in consecutive at bats. Terry Pettorini (So., Wooster, Ohio/Wooster) also hit home runs in consecutive at bats in the third and fourth innings in the 38-15 win over Toledo March 8 in Albuquerque, N.M.
A single through the left side by Doug Deeds (So., Bexley, Ohio/Bexley) scored Drew Anderson (Fr., Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg), who reached on a two-base error and was then moved over on a ground out by Doug Dendinger (Sr., Greenwich, Ohio/South Central). Swisher hit the team’s fourth home run of the game off the scoreboard in right-centerfield. The bomb prompted a pitching change. Dan Pohlman replaced Ribas and immediately walked the first two batters he faced and then gave up a base hit to Lance Rolston (Jr., Athens, Ohio/Alexander) to load the bases. Evan Blesoff replaced Pohlman on the mound and he allowed Ohio State to add a run on a sac fly by Pettorini that scored Snavely.
Snavely finished the game 2-for-3 with three RBI thanks to his two home runs. Swisher also accounted for Ohio State. For Northwestern, both Haake and Mikrut were 2-for-4. Mikrut knocked in three runs thanks to his back-to-back doubles in the third and fifth innings.
The two teams will continue action Saturday with the originally scheduled doubleheader. Each game will be seven innings. Ohio State and Northwestern close out the four-game series Sunday at 1:05 p.m. at Bill Davis Stadium.
