Buckeyes Advance to Regional Final With 6-2 Win Over Auburn – Ohio State Buckeyes
5/31/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 31, 2003
Box Score
AUBURN, Ala. – Four home runs by three Buckeyes and a near complete game by starter Mike Madsen (So., Chesterland, Ohio/Notre Dame Cathedral Latin) helped lead No. 31 and third-seeded Ohio State to a 6-2 win over No. 13 and top-seeded Auburn in a battle of unbeatens Saturday in the NCAA Auburn Regional at Plainsman Park.
The win gave the Buckeyes wins in their first two regional games since beating Bowling Green and Mississippi State to sweep through three games in 1999 at the Columbus Regional to earn the right to host a Super Regional against Cal State-Fullerton.
The table is set for Ohio State (43-19) to do the same four years later Sunday when it will face Auburn (42-20), which beat Clemson for the right to play the Buckeyes in the regional championship. One win in those two games by Ohio State will put it in a Super Regional for the second time since the NCAA went to the format in the 1999 season. The winner of the Auburn Regional will play the winner of the Lincoln Regional June 6-8, at a site to be determined Monday afternoon.
Drew Anderson (So., Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) hit a pair of two-run home runs for the second straight game in a 2-for-4 day that netted four RBI. Christian Snavely (Jr., Defiance, Ohio/Defiance) and Steve Caravati (So., Dover, Ohio/Dover) batted in the other two runs with solo home runs of their own. Caravati finished the day 2-for-3, while Snavely went 1-for-4 in getting a hit in 21 of his last 22 games.
Auburn scored the leadoff man in the top of the first inning to take the early 1-0 lead. Sean Gamble doubled to left-center field to start the game and then moved to third on base hit to shallow right-center field by Javon Moran. Gamble scored on a ground out by Tug Hulett.
Scott Schade hit his first home run of the season off to put the Tigers up 2-0. The home run, off Madsen, cleared the fence just to the left of the batter’s eye in straight-away center field.
That offensive output by Auburn would prove to be the only that produced any runs as the remainder of the game was all Buckeyes.
Anderson hit his third home run of the regional to tie the game in the bottom of the third inning. Anderson’s home run over the 30-foot fence in left field also scored Jedidiah Stephen (Fr., Caldwell, Ohio/Shenandoah), who drew a one-out walk. It was Anderson’s 10th home run of the season.
Caravati gave the Buckeyes their first lead of the game with a shot to the 385-corner in left-center field. The solo shot was his sixth of the season and his fifth in his last five games.
Snavely followed Caravati’s lead to open the sixth inning. He launched his 16th home run of the season over the fence on the right side of the batter’s eye in center field to give the Buckeyes a 4-2 lead.
A great defensive play by Wes Schirtzinger (Fr., Westerville, Ohio/Westerville North) saved an Auburn run in the seventh inning. With a runner at second and two out, Sean Gamble singled to right field. Schirtzinger made a play on the ball and came up firing to home, nailing Derek Sain, who had a one-out double, at the plate.
The Buckeyes added a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh thanks to Anderson’s second home run of the game. Brett Garrard (Jr., Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) led off the inning with an infield hit to short and then moved to second on a balk and to third on a fly out by Stephen. Ohio State needed a sacrifice by Anderson to get a run of insurance, but instead he sent a shot over the fence in left-center field to give the Buckeyes a four-run advantage.
Auburn went in order in the top of the eighth and the Buckeyes could not turn a Caravati hit by pitch into a run in the bottom of the inning as Caravati was caught stealing before the final two of the inning.
The Tigers again made it interesting for the Buckeyes in the ninth. Clete Thomas singled with one out and then moved to third after Madsen walked Schade to put runners at first and second. The walk prompted OSU coach Bob Todd to pull Madsen in favor of closer Matt Davis (So., Mason, Ohio/William Mason). With two on, one out and the tying run in the on-deck circle, Davis would be eligible for his 13th save of the season with an Ohio State victory.
Davis got Sain to ground out to second and then got Chuck Jeroloman looking a strike three to end the game. Madsen picked up his eighth win against one loss in going a career-long 8 1/3 innings. He gave up two runs (both earned) on eighth hits, while walking just one with a pair of strikeouts. Arnold Hughey got the loss for Auburn to fall to 6-6 on the year.
The 43rd win of the season by Ohio State equals the sixth most in the programs history. The 2001 team also had 43 wins. A win Sunday would tie the fifth highest total in school history. The 15 saves this season tied the school saves record. The Buckeyes also had 15 saves in 1996 and 2001.
Ohio State and Auburn will play at 2:36 p.m. (EDT) with the Buckeyes needing just one win in a potential games Sunday. A second game, if necessary, would begin at 6 p.m. Both games will be broadcast on WOSU Radio (820 AM) and on television by Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast.
