Buckeyes Drop Doubleheader at UAB Saturday – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/28/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 28, 2015
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Ohio State baseball team fell in a road doubleheader at UAB Saturday at Regions Field in Birmingham, Ala. The Blazers (8-1) edged the Buckeyes (4-4), 3-2, in game one before claiming an 8-1 victory in game two on a pleasantly mild day in downtown Birmingham. The series concludes at 12:30 p.m. CT Sunday at Regions Field.
GAME 1: Ohio State 2, UAB 3 Down 3-1 in their final at bat, the Buckeyes rallied to make it a one-run deficit vs. the Blazers, but fell short, 3-2, in game one of the doubleheader at Regions Field. With the bases loaded, Pat Porter knocked a single to left center to plate Troy Montgomery, but UAB reliever Cory Eller induced a double play in the following at bat to claim the save to end the opening game of the three-game series.
UAB plated a run in the fourth and regained the lead in the seventh with its second run of the afternoon before posting a third run in the eighth. UAB starter Alex Luna limited the OSU bats to one run on three hits with four strikeouts in 8.1 innings pitched to improve to 2-0.
Lead-off hitter Troy Montgomery was the first Buckeye to reach base safely vs. Luna in the top of the fourth, working a five-pitch walk. However, Luna claimed a 5-4-3 double play and a strikeout to end the fourth.
After tossing three scoreless innings to begin game one, Tully allowed a run in the bottom of the fourth following a lead-off triple to center field by Esteban Tresgallo and an RBI groundout by Brett Blackwood. However, that’s all the Blazers would get vs. Tully in the frame as he kept the deficit at 1-0. He got Tyler Mims to pop up and Adam Smith to ground out to leave a runner on base – the fourth UAB runner he stranded on the day. Tully received a no decision in the game after tossing six innings on five hits, one run, two walks and four strikeouts.
Ohio State left a runner on base in the fifth. Porter walked, but a fielder’s choice and a groundout against Luna ended any chance of a scoring oppurtunity. The Buckeyes claimed their first hit of the day with two outs in the top of the seventh to tie the contest at 1-1. Porter sent a double to short left center field to plate Nick Sergakis, who was hit by a pitch earlier in the inning vs. Luna.
The Blazers didn’t wait around to regain their lead, plating a run in the bottom half vs. OSU relief pitcher Jake Post. Nathan Vincent plated the go-ahead run with a one-out RBI single to center field after Smith began the UAB at-bat with a double to right center. UAB added a third run in the bottom of the eighth on an infield bunt single by Smith.
Post received the loss to drop to 1-1 in 2015. He tossed two innings and allowed two runs on five hits with a walk and a strikeout. Porter went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI at the plate for the Scarlet and Gray.
GAME 2: Ohio State 1, UAB 8 The Blazers posted four runs in the sixth and eighth innings, respectively, and limited the OSU bats to four hits and one run to earn the doubleheader sweep with an 8-2 victory in game two.
Ohio State claimed a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth with one down when Sergakis posted a RBI single up the middle vs. UAB starter James Naile to plate Montgomery. The hit was the first against Naile in game two, who improved to 3-0 after throwing 7.1 innings on one run, four hits, four walks and six strikeouts.
The Buckeyes stranded a runner in the fifth and sixth innings, respectively. UAB then rallied to plate four runs against Ohio State starting pitcher Travis Lakins to take a 4-1 lead in the bottom half. After a lead-off walk and single, Lakins maintained his composure and struck out the next batter for his career-best eighth strikeout. However, a second walk loaded the bases to set up Smith, who claimed the clutch one-out triple to left center to give the Blazers a 3-1 advantage. An infield bunt single by Davis then extended the lead to three runs, 4-1. The OSU sophomore’s day came to a close following a fourth UAB hit in the inning.
Relief pitcher John Havird ended the UAB momentum with a strikeout and groundout coming out of the bullpen. Ohio State had a great opportunity to rebound in the top of the seventh after back-to-back hits by Porter and Troy Kuhn, however, a 4-6-3 double play and ground out got Naile out of the jam. The UAB starter was replaced in the top of the eight with one down by reliever Ryan Ruggles. Montgomery was able to reach third base, but Ohio State could not push him around home plate. Kyle Michalik pitched the eighth inning and allowed four runs on four hits with a walk as the Blazers opened up the game, 8-1.
Lakins received the loss to fall to 0-2. He threw 5.1 innings on eight hits, four runs, four earned and two walks with a career-best eight strikeouts. Havird tossed 1.2 scoreless innings with no hits or walks and a strikeout. Kuhn was 2-for-4 in the contest, while Montgomery plated the only run in game two.
DOUBLEHEADER NOTES ? In game one, Porter picked up his first multi-hit game and multi-RBI contest of 2015. ? Troy Kuhn tallied his second multi-hit performance of the year in game two. ? Travis Lakins punched out a career-best eight batters in the loss in game two.
