Ohio State’s Win Streak Snapped in 7-1 Loss to Illinois-Chicago – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/21/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 21, 2006
Box Score
BRADENTON, Fla. – Illinois-Chicago broke a 1-all tie with single runs in the top of the sixth and seventh and then added four more, including three in the eighth, to down Ohio State 7-1 Tuesday at IMG Academy, breaking a six-game win streak by the Buckeyes.
With the scored tied at one, OSU starter Cory Luebke (So., Maria Stein, Ohio/Marion Local) walked the lead-off batter, Mark Hallberg, in the top of the sixth inning and it proved costly after he went to second on a ground out and scored on a double to right field by pinch hitter Brett Schaefer. The run put UIC up 2-1. The Flames added another run in the top o fthe seventh inning. Hallberg’s infield single drove home Gempp, who boarded with a one-out single to center. He was able to get to second when the ball got by Angle, the Buckeyes’ centerfielder. He went to third on a fly out by Chad Schroeder.
The Flames plated three more runs in the eighth. Luebke started the inning with his eighth strikeout, but he hit Schaefer and walked Bart Babineaux. Buckeye coach Bob Todd lifted Luebke for Rory Meister (So., Mansfield, Ohio/Mansfield Madison). He walked his first batter and then gave up a two-run single to Nick Rainwater. Gempp’s sacrifice bunt scored the third run of the inning. An RBI single by pinch hitter Ted Rosinski yielded the final run in the ninth.
The Buckeyes struggled on defense and committed four errors in the contest. Four of UIC’s 12 hits were bunt singles.
Justin Johnson was 3-for-5 to lead the Flames, while he was supported with two hits from each Larry Gempp and Mark Hallberg.
The Buckeyes allowed their first run in the first inning in seven games when Johnson drove in Larry Gempp with a single through the left side. Gempp reached on a bunt single and then went to third when third baseman Ronnie Bourquin (Jr., Canton, Ohio/Canotn) threw wide of the base. Luebke walked Schroeder and then got Hallberg to ground into a double play, moving Gempp to third. Ohio State got the run back in the bottom of the inning when Jacob Howell (Jr., Ashland, Ohio/Ashland) scored on a wild pitch. Howell led off the inning with a bunt single and went to second on as single to left by Matt Angle (So., Whitehall, Ohio/Whitehall-Yearling). Howell went to third when Eric Fryer (So., Reynoldsburg, Ohio/Reynoldsburg) grounded into a double play.
Angle and J.B. Shuck (Fr., Galion, Ohio/Galion) each had two hits to lead Ohio State, which had seven hits in the game.
Howell’s hit in the first gave him hits in his last 10 at bats, but the streak came to an end when he grounded out in the third. He finished 1-for-3 and scored one run.
Luebke was tagged with the loss to fall to 2-2 on the year. He struck out eight batters for the second time this season, going 7.1 innings. He allowed five runs (four earned) on nine hits and walked three. Ryan Martin allowed one run on five hits in 6.0 innings to pick up the win (2-1). Adam Worthington pitched the final three innings to get his first save.
The team will meet Cornell for a second time this week later Tuesday before concluding the trip with two games against Vermont Thursday and Friday.
