Ohio State Takes 1-0 Win From Northwestern in Big Ten Opener – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/27/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 27, 2003
Box Score
BRADENTON, Fla. – Scott Lewis (So., Washington Court House, Ohio/Washington) sat down the first 11 batters of the game and gave up just four hits in a 1-0 complete game shutout against Northwestern in the Big Ten opener for both schools Thursday at IMG Academy.
Lewis struck out 10 batters and allowed just one walk in moving to 4-0 on the year. He now has 47 strikeouts in 35.0 innings this season with a 1.80 ERA. It was his first complete game of the season and the seventh of a young career, in which he already has 12 victories. His last complete game came in a win over South Alabama in last year’s NCAA South Bend Regional. Lewis has fanned at least eight batters in each of his starts this season and has struck out at least 10 batters three times.
He retired the first 11 batters of the game before his no-hit bid ended in the fourth with a base hit by David Gresky. Northwestern had back-to-back hits in the fifth and another in the sixth.
The game turned out to be an old-fashioned pitchers dual between Lewis and Northwestern starter Dan Konecny, who got the loss to fall to 2-2. Despite a rocky start, Konecny sat down 10 straight batters after Ohio State took a 1-0 lead in the fifth. Konecny struck out five, but walked a career-high four batters as Ohio State had eight base runners in the first four innings.
First baseman Paul Farinacci (So., Westlake Village, Calif./Agoura) led off the second inning with a stand-up double over the centerfielder’s head. He advanced to third on a passed ball, but was stranded there as Konecny got two ground outs and a strikeout to get out of the inning.
Ohio State again advanced a runner to third base in the top of the third inning as Mike Rabin (So., West Chester, Ohio/Lakota East) singled with one out. Steve Caravati (So., Dover, Ohio/Dover) singled down the right-field line to move Rabin to third. Christian Snavely (Jr., Defiance, Ohio/Defiance) walked to load the bases for Terry Pettorini (Jr., Wooster, Ohio/Wooster), but the Buckeye designated hitter grounded into a 1-2-3 double play to end the threat. The luck changed for the Buckeyes in the fourth as they scored the only run of the game. With two outs, Doug Larason (Jr., Alexandria, Ohio/Johnstown) doubled to left-centerfield. A line drive by Derek Kinnear (Jr., Kenton, Ohio/Kenton) into rightfield moved Larason to third. Jedidiah Stephen drew a walk to load the bases and then Rabin walked to score Larason and give the Buckeyes a 1-0 lead.
The no-hit bid by Lewis ended in the fourth but Northwestern did not move a runner into scoring position until the fifth inning when Jon Mikrut doubled with one out. That followed with a single through the left side by Mark Ori, but Lewis got a pair of strikeouts to get out of the inning.
Eric Roeder led off the sixth for the Wildcats with a single to left-centerfield and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Josh Lieberman. Lewis got David Gresky to fly out and then struck out Dan Pohlman to strand another runner in scoring position. Ken Padgett reached on a Snavely throwing error in the seventh and was bunted over to second by Mikrut. That inning ended on a groundout and Lewis’ seventh strikeout of the game.
Roeder drew a one-out walk in the eighth and then Rabin made the play of the game in centerfield to prevent a run from scored. Rabin, who was playing just slightly right of straight-away centerfield was able to chase down a shot by Josh Lieberman deep into the gap in right-centerfield. That play forced Roeder to retreat to first and perhaps preventing extra innings or, at least, a Northwestern rally. Lewis struck out Gresky to end the inning. The Wildcats went in order in the bottom of the ninth, including the 10th Lewis strikeout, to preserve the win for Ohio State.
Seven different players had solo hits for the Buckeyes and Rabin’s walk scored the only run of the game.
Ohio State (10-6, 1-0 Big Ten) and Northwestern (7-8, 0-1) will play a doubleheader Friday at 1:05 p.m. and will close out the series Saturday with a single game at 1:05 p.m.
