Solo Home Runs Lift Buckeyes to 6-4 Victory over South Alabama – Ohio State Buckeyes
6/1/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
June 1, 2002
Box Score
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Two solo home runs lifted third-seeded Ohio State to an 6-4 victory over top-seeded South Alabama in the South Bend Regional Saturday sending the Buckeyes to the regional championship Sunday against Notre Dame.
Terry Pettorini (So., Wooster, Ohio/Wooster) gave the Buckeyes their first lead of the game, breaking a 4-4 tie in the bottom of the fourth inning. The shot to left was his seventh home run of the season and his third of the postseason, having homered twice last week at the Big Ten Tournament.
The 5-4 lead lasted three innings until Nick Swisher’s (Jr., Parkersburg, W.Va./Parkersburg) 10th home run of the year gave the Buckeyes a run of insurance heading to the top of the ninth. OSU starter Scott Lewis (Fr., Washington Court House, Ohio/Washington Court House) sat the Jaguars down in order in the ninth to pick up his eighth win of the year against just two losses.
“Scott Lewis kept us in the game,” Swisher said. “He kept it close and we got runs when we needed them.”
Lewis pitched his second nine-inning complete game in the postseason with 10 strikeouts and no walks. Lewis also pitched a complete game in the Big Ten Tournament Championship game last week at Minnesota. Against South Alabama, he gave up four runs on 10 hits, all of the runs coming on five hits in the first two innings.
“We had to win this game to stay in the tournament,” Lewis said. “I just went out there and threw strikes and let the fielders do their job. They gave me some runs to work with.”
Lewis retired the last seven batters of the game in order and 10 of the last 12. He also picked off Josh Touchstone to end the fifth inning, the last time the Jaguars really threatened. Touchstone had grounded to third base and reach on a fielder’s choice when Drew Anderson (Fr., Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) threw home to catch Jansen Rayborn, who had advanced to third on a double by Ryan Mulhern. The start of the game was in stark contrast to the way the game ended.
A two-run home run by Mulhern gave the Jaguars a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. The shot over the fence in rightfield was with two outs and scored Erik Smallwood, who sent a one-out single up the middle.
Ohio State answered to tie the game 2-2 in the bottom half of the first. A double by Mike Rabin (Fr., West Chester, Ohio/Lakota East) scored Christian Snavely (So., Defiance, Ohio/Defiance) from first base. Snavely had led off the inning with a base hit through the right side. Doug Deeds (So., Bexley, Ohio/Bexley) singled to right to put runners at the corners and then a passed ball plated Rabin.
South Alabama reclaimed a two-run advantage in the top of the second inning. Three hits, including doubles by Kevin Sytko and T.J. Touchstone, scored the third and fourth runs for the Jaguars.
Two walks by South Alabama starter Caleb Crosby led to the tying run for Ohio State. Both Lance Rolston (Jr. Athens, Ohio/Alexander) and Brett Garrard (So., Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) walked. Snavely’s second hit, a single to right-centerfield scored Rolston and then Rabin’s single to right knocked in Garrard to even the score 4-4.
“The first two innings were wild, but both pitchers settled down,” said OSU head coach Bob Todd. “Their guy retired 12 of 13 batters, but Scott threw a shutout after Terry gave us the lead.”
The Buckeyes will play Notre Dame on Sunday at 2:05 p.m. and will have to win twice to claim the regional crown and advance to a Super Regional for the second time in three years. The Fighting Irish have yet to lose, beating Ohio State 8-6 on Friday and handing South Alabama a 25-1 loss earlier on Saturday.
