Northwestern Pounds Out 7-1 Victory for Doubleheader Split – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/28/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 28, 2003
Box Score
BRADENTON, Fla. – Ohio State took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first but did not score the rest of the way as Northwestern cruised to a 7-1 victory over Ohio State in the second game of a doubleheader Friday at IMG Academy.
A sacrifice fly by Christian Snavely (Jr., Defiance, Ohio/Defiance) gave the Buckeyes a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Mike Rabin (So., West Chester, Ohio/Lakota East) was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and then advanced to third on a single to left-centerfield by Steve Caravati (So., Dover, Ohio/Dover). But that would be the only offense Ohio State could put together in game two after winning the first game by a count of 4-1.
Northwestern took its first lead in the series by scoring two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Dan Pohlman drew a walk to lead off the inning and then moved to third on a single to right-centerfield by Jon Mikrut. Pohlman scored on a base hit through the left side by pitcher/designated hitter Mark Ori. Pat McMahon bunted Mikrut over to third and then the second run of the inning came on a sac fly to leftfield by rightfielder Brandon Ackley.
Pohlman broke the game open in the fifth inning with a two-run triple to left-centerfield. The ball rolled to the fence and allowed Ken Padgett and David Gresky to score from first and second, respectively. A wild pitch by Buckeye reliever Mike Madsen (So., Chesterland, Ohio/Notre Dame Cathedral Latin) scored Pohlman and then Mikrut homered way over the fence in leftfield to give Northwestern a 6-1 lead. Second baseman Eric Roeder homered in the sixth to give the Wildcats the 7-1 final margin.
Chris Hanners (So., Groveport, Ohio/DeSales) started the game for Ohio State, going 4.1 innings, allowing four runs (all earned) on six hits. He had two walks and one strikeout. He fell to 1-1 on the year. Madsen pitched the final 1.2 innings, allowing three runs (all earned) on five hits with one strikeout. Ori went the distance for Northwestern, allowing one run (earned) on seven hits with a pair of walks and four strikeouts. He improved to 2-0 on the year.
Caravati went 2-for-4 in the game and was the only Buckeye with multiple hits in the team’s seven-hit offense. He also was 2-for-4 in the first game. Roeder finished 3-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored to lead Northwestern in game two. He was one of four Wildcats who had at least two hits in the game as Northwestern got 11 hits against the Buckeyes.
Ohio State (11-7, 2-1 Big Ten) and Northwestern (8-9, 1-2) will conclude the opening series of Big Ten play Saturday with a single nine-inning game Saturday at 1:05 p.m. The game will be broadcast on the radio by WOSB-FM (106.7 and 91.1).
