Troy Kuhn’s Home Run Lifts Buckeyes over UAB, 4-3 – Ohio State Buckeyes

Sunday, March 1

Birmingham, AL

Ohio State

5-4

UAB

8-2

Ohio State

UAB

Troy Kuhn’s Home Run Lifts Buckeyes over UAB, 4-3 – Ohio State Buckeyes

3/1/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

March 1, 2015

Box Score

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – With the bat of junior Troy Kuhn, the Ohio State baseball team rallied to defeat UAB, 4-3, Sunday afternoon at Regions Field in Birmingham, Ala. Kuhn, a native of Zionsville, Ind., connected on a 2-1 pitch that struck the left field foul pole vs. UAB reliever Stephen Baggett for a solo home run in the eighth inning to help the Buckeyes (5-4) claim the win against the Blazers (8-2) in the series finale.
“It was a big gut-check victory for us today after they took an early lead in the first inning,” head coach Greg Beals said. “I’m proud of the way our guys continued to fight and have that `next pitch’ mentality. The story of the ball game was our efficient pitching, strong defense and timely hitting.”
Senior right-hander Trace Dempsey received the win, tossing the final 2.2 innings and allowed no runs on one hit with four strikeouts. Senior starter Ryan Riga was solid in his third start and received the no decision and limited the UAB bats to three runs on 11 hits, two walks and five strikeouts in 6.1 innings of work. He threw five straight scoreless innings after UAB jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. In all, the two senior pitchers stranded 11 UAB baserunners.
“Riga pitched really well for us and better than what his line shows in my opinion. He kept us in the game,” Beals said. “It was exciting to see Dempsey finish off the game and he really looks to be back in Trace Dempsey form.”
Offensively, Kuhn went 3-for-3 at the plate with three runs scored, a walk, double and the big solo homer. The Scarlet and Gray collected their first lead in the seventh inning, scoring two runs with two outs. Craig Nennig slapped a single through the left side to plate Kuhn before Troy Montgomery pushed the go-ahead run across on a triple down the right field line vs. UAB relief pitcher Ryan Ruggles to make it 3-2.
“We got big two-out production in the late innings from our lineup and that was the difference in the ball game,” Beals said.
The Blazers bounced right back with a run in the bottom half to tie it, 3-3. With runners on the corners and one down, Dempsey came into relieve Riga. A hard-hit groundball up the middle by Tyler Mims took a wicked hop to tie the game, 3-3. Dempsey kept it tied, though, getting a pop-up and groundout.
In the eighth, UAB tried to push around a runner at second base with one down, but Dempsey claimed back-to-back strikeouts to keep his team ahead, 4-3. In the final inning, Dempsey struck out two batters for his eighth win of his career.
The Blazers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom half of the first. UAB loaded the bases after two slow rollers down the third base line stayed fair and a groundball up the middle found the hole past a diving Nick Sergakis. With two down, Evan Peterson then knocked a line drive to right center to plate two runners. Riga ended the inning with a groundout to second base.
The Buckeyes answered with a run in the top of the second when Kuhn scored on a wild pitch by UAB starter Johnny Lieske. The scoring play was set up when Kuhn doubled down the left field line and Aaron Gretz punched an infield single past the pitcher’s mound.
UAB threatened to score in the third inning, but Riga struck out a batter and induced a grounder to second base to end the third, leaving two runners on base.
In the fourth, Ohio State had the bases loaded vs. Lieske after walks to Ronnie Dawson and Sergakis and an intentional walk to Kuhn. Gretz then roped a liner right at Mims who stepped on first for the inning-ending double play to keep it at 2-1. Nennig and Sergakis turned a strong double play in the bottom half to keep the pressure on the home squad in a one-run game. After the fifth and sixth innings went scoreless, UAB went to its bullpen as Gavin Niquette relieved Lieske to begin the seventh. Lieske allowed just one run on three hits in six innings of work and received the no-decision, while Baggett received the loss to fall to 0-1.
UP NEXT Ohio State closes out its 12-game road trip at Western Kentucky March 6-8 in Bowling Green, Ky. The Buckeyes home opener is set for March 10 against IPFW, which begins an 11-game home stand for the Scarlet and Gray.
GAME NOTES ?Kuhn collected his team-best fourth and fifth extra-base hits of 2015 with a double in the second inning and homer in the eighth. He also picked up his third multi-hit game. ?Sergakis has reached base safely in four-consecutive games. ?Riga stranded eight baserunners in the contest. ?Dempsey has made 79 career appearances, which is in the Top 10 on the OSU all-time career appearances list. ?Three of the Buckeyes’ five wins have been come-from-behind victories. The team rallied twice at the Snowbird Classic to begin the season.