Buckeyes Need Seventh-Inning Comeback to Beat Spartans 6-5 – Ohio State Buckeyes
5/10/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 10, 2003
Box Score
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State lost a three-run lead in the top of the seventh inning, but scored twice in the bottom half of the inning to come back and defeat Michigan State 6-5 in the nightcap of a Saturday doubleheader at Bill Davis Stadium.
The Buckeyes had a 4-1 lead entering the top of the seventh inning, but the Spartans took a 5-4 lead with four runs in the inning on two hits and three walks by Buckeye relievers. Randy Ortiz walked off Ohio State reliever Trent Luyster (So., Flushing, Ohio/Harrison Central) and then got Alan Cattrysse to hit a grounder to third that caught Ortiz at second. Cattrysee reached first on the fielder’s choice. Luyster then walked Brett Wattles before getting pulled for closer Matt Davis (So., Mason, Ohio/William Mason).
Davis walked Travis Gullick to load the bases for Scott Koerber, who sent a shot down the right-field line for a two-Rbi double that scored both Cattrysse and Wattles to pull with one run of the Buckeyes. That put runners at first and second with no one out. Erik Morris flew out to center and scored Gulick on the sacrifice to tie the game. Michigan State took a one-run lead on a single to right by James Moreno.
The Buckeyes led off the bottom of the inning with a double by Jedidiah Stephen (Fr., Caldwell, Ohio/Shenandoah) and then he advanced on a wild pitch by Ryan Golem. Brett Garrard (Jr., Brownsburg, Ohio/Brownsburg) then walked to put runners at the corners. Mike Rabin (So., West Chester, Ohio/Lakota East) bunted right back to the pitcher, who threw home to nab a sliding Stephen for the first out of the inning.
Christian Snavely (Jr., Defiance, Ohio/Defiance) tied the game with a single to right-center field which scored Garrard from third. That set the stage for Steve Caravati (So., Dover, Ohio/Dover), who took an inside-out swing on a 1-0 fastball and punched it through the right side to bring in Rabin for the winning run.
The hit for Snavely was his first hit of the game and kept alive a hit streak that reached nine games with the game-tying RBI. Caravati finished the game 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI and scored a run. Garrard also went 2-for-3 and scored twice. In all, Ohio State (34-15 overall, 18-9 in the Big Ten) scored its six runs on 11 hits, though they did not score a run until the fourth inning.
The Buckeyes put three runs on the scoreboard in that frame to take a 3-0 lead. Caravati singled through the left side with one out and then advanced to second on a throwing error on Michigan State pitcher Jeff Gerbe trying to pick off Caravati at first. Paul Farinacci (So., Westlake, Calif./Agoura) singled to left-center field to move Caravati to third. Farinacci stole the first base of his career.
Cody Caughenbaugh (Fr., Newark, Ohio/Licking Valley) doubled to the wall in right field and scored both Caravati and Farinacci to put the Buckeyes their first two runs of the game.
Kelly Houser (Fr., New Holland, Ohio/Adena) reached on a fielder’s choice on a hit to short that caught Caughenbaugh at third. Wes Schirtzinger (Fr., Westerville, Ohio/Westerville North) tripled off the wall in left center to score Houser all the way from first. It was the second triple of the freshman’s career and the second of the day, after he had his first in the opening game of the doubleheader.
Michigan State got on the scoreboard with a solo home run in the fifth inning by Brett Wattles. The shot to right was his seventh home run of the season.
The Buckeyes got the run back in the bottom of the inning taking advantage of a lead off single to right field by Garrard. He moved to second on the second throwing of the game by Gerbe in a failed pick off attempt at first. Rabin bunted down the first base line, beating out a throw and successfully moving Garrard to third. After Snavely struck out for the first out of the inning, Caravati flew out to right to score Garrard and put the Buckeyes on top 4-1.
Davis, who had given up the tying and go-ahead runs in the top of the seventh, managed the victory to improve to 2-1 on the season. He gave up the two runs (earned) on a pair of hits and a walk. Mike Madsen (So., Chesterland, Ohio/Notre Dame Cathedral Latin) got the start for the Buckeyes and pitched the first five innings, allowing one run (earned) on three hits with three walks and four strikeouts. Golem, who came on to start the bottom of the seventh, blew the save opportunity and instead got the loss to fall to 2-3.
The two teams will close out the four-game series Sunday with a nine-inning game at 1:05 p.m.
