Ohio State Drops Game in Bottom of Ninth to Western Michigan, 4-3 – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/7/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 7, 2004
Box Score
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Ohio State scored twice in the top of the ninth inning to tie the game 3-3, but gave up a bases-loaded single to Western Michigan third baseman Mark Abro as the Broncos treated the Buckeyes to a taste of their own medicine with a 4-3 ninth-inning victory Sunday in the Kennel Club Classic at Harmon Stadium. On Saturday, the Buckeyes defeated Connecticut by the same score with a single up the middle by Mike Rabin.
Cody Caughenbaugh (So., Newark, Ohio/Licking Valley) led off the top of the ninth with the team’s third double of the game, a shot he sent to right-center field. Jeffrey Carroll (Fr., Columbus, Ohio/Bishop Watterson) walked and then Wes Schirtzinger (So., Westerville, Ohio/Westerville North) pinch ran for him. Brett Garrard (Sr., Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) sent a shot to shallow center field that went off the glove of charging Bronco centerfielder R.C. Dickerson. That loaded the bases for Jedidiah Stephen (So., Caldwell, Ohio/Shenandoah), who grounded to the catcher who then threw home to prevent Caughenbaugh from scoring.
With the bases still loaded relief pitcher Charles Christner hit Kelly Houser (So., New Holland, Ohio/Adena) to make the score 3-2. Jacob Howell (Fr., Ashland, Ohio/Ashland) flew out to left, but scored Garrard to score Garrard with the sacrifice. The inning ended with Stephen getting thrown out at second after the sac fly. Ohio State skipper Bob Todd brought in Trey Fausnaugh (Fr., Circleville, Ohio/Westfall) to pitch the ninth inning. He walked the first batter faced before giving up a bunt by Dickerson to put runners at first and second. Matt Bolton bunted again, advancing the runners with the sacrifice. Fausnaugh intentionally walked the next batter to load the bases in hopes of a potential double play, but Abro delivered with a base hit through the left side to scoring the winning run.
Abro finished the game 4-for-5 and knocked in three runs for Western Michigan as the Broncos out-hit Ohio State 12-7. Three other Broncos added two hits apiece. Drew Anderson (Jr., Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) was the only Buckeye with more than one hit as he went 2-for-4.
Western Michigan struck first scoring one run in the bottom of the first inning. Matt Bolton boarded with a one-out single and then was caught at second on a fielder’s choice by Adam Rosales. Rosales though reached second as Garrard, the Buckeye shortstop, threw wide of Carroll. Abro doubled to deep right-center field to give the Broncos a 1-0 lead.
Bolton got his second hit of the game with one out in the third inning and later scored. After a steal of second, he was doubled in by Rosales, who sent a shot down the left field line for the extra base. He scored on a single through the left side under the glove of a diving Garrard to make the score 3-0.
Bronco starting pitcher Dan O’Brien was perfect through his first 11 batters of the game before Anderson doubled down the left-field line for the Buckeyes’ first hit of the game. Steve Caravati (Jr., Dover, Ohio/Dover) followed by drawing a walk before the duo was stranded when Kris Moorman (Fr., St. Henry, Ohio/St. Henry) struck out.
Garrard doubled in the fifth inning for the Buckeyes’ second hit of the game and then Houser was awarded a hit after the field umpire called interference on himself. Garrard remained at second base and then Howell grounded out to end the inning. The Buckeyes went in order in both the sixth and seventh for the fourth and fifth 1-2-3 innings.
Ohio State starter Mike Madsen (Jr., Chesterland, Ohio/Notre Dame Cathedral Latin) allowed at least one Western Michigan hit in every inning until the seventh, though he did allow a one-out walk in the inning. Madsen then got a fly out and a ground out the get out of the inning. The Buckeyes failed to get Western Michigan in order in any inning.
The Buckeyes finally got on the score board in the top of the eighth inning, taking advantage of a leadoff infield single by Stephen. He advanced to second on a throw by Rosales, the Western Michigan shortstop. A single to shallow center field by Howell put runners at the corners. A sacrifice fly by Mike Rabin, a junior from West Chester, Ohio (Lakota East) scored Stephen to make the score 3-1. Anderson singled to put runners at first and second before the mini-rally was ended with a fly out to center by Caravati.
Christner evened his record, 1-1, for Western Michigan, which improved to 3-6. In his one inning, he gave up one run and walked another. Madsen pitched the first eight innings for Ohio State, giving up 10 hits, three runs (two earned). He walked a pair and tied a career high with seven strikeouts. Fausnaugh, who had the win against UConn, lost his first game as a Buckeye (1-1), allowing two hits, one run and two walks, though one was intentional in only 1/3 of an inning.
Ohio State will return to action March 12-14 at the 19th annual Coca-Cola Classic in Mobile, Ala. The Buckeyes will open the tournament against McNeese State at 3:30 p.m. Friday and then meet host school South Alabama at 3:30 p.m. Saturday before closing the event vs. Winthrop at noon Sunday.
