Fifteen Hits Lead Buckeyes Past WKU, 10-1 – Ohio State Buckeyes

Sunday, March 8

Bowling Green, Ky.

Ohio State

6-4

Western Kentucky

6-6

Ohio State

Western Kentucky

Fifteen Hits Lead Buckeyes Past WKU, 10-1 – Ohio State Buckeyes

3/8/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

March 8, 2015

Box Score

RELATED INFO ?Follow the Buckeyes on FacebookandTwitter ?Box Score ?Season Stats

BOWLING GREEN, Ky.– The Ohio State baseball team tallied a season-high 15 hits on 10 runs to claim a 10-1 victory at Western Kentucky Sunday at Nick Denes Field in Bowling Green, Ky. With the victory, the Buckeyes improve to 6-4 overall, while the Hilltoppers fall to 6-6 in 2015.

“Hitting is contagious and today we were able to get ourselves going,” head coach Greg Beals said. “We got some key hits. The bottom of our order did a great job for us with Gretz, Nennig and Leffel giving us the spark we needed.”

On the road, the Buckeyes did exactly what they wanted to do – score early. In the top of the first, Troy Montgomery slid across home plate for the first run of the afternoon as the WKU catcher could not secure the incoming throw. The unearned run was allowed after a poor throw by the WKU second baseman on the turn ended up by the Buckeyes’ first base dugout. Montgomery began the day taking a pitch the other way for a lead-off single.

OSU sophomore starting pitcher Tanner Tully worked his way out of a jam in the bottom half with runners on the corners after a strikeout and fly out ended the frame.

The Buckeyes extended their lead to 3-0 in the top of the second scoring two runs on four hits. Aaron Gretz, Craig Nennig and Ryan Leffel each singled to load the bases vs. WKU starter Josh Bartley. Montgomery then connected on a 1-2 pitch for a two-run double to left center field, plating Gretz and Nennig.

After Gretz threw out a runner at third base to end the third, the OSU senior co-captain led off the fourth with his second hit of the day. Leffel pushed him around home plate with a RBI single down the left field line.

Tully’s day unfortunately came to an end sooner than expected in the bottom of the fourth when he was hit by a line drive on the mound and could not continue. Senior pitcher Ryan Riga, who would have started in game three of the original scheduled three-game series, replaced Tully. After walking two batters to load the bases, Riga stayed calm and induced a groundout to second to leave them loaded and maintain the 4-0 advantage for the road squad.

“We are concerned about Tanner’s injury, but he will be alright and will have a bruise for a few days,” Beals said. “The situation where we are only playing two games down here means we had an extra starter ready to go in the bullpen. Sunday is Riga’s normal day to pitch and he was prepared to come in. It’s not easy to do that and for him to give us five scoreless innings was big.”

The Buckeyes opened up the game in the top of the fifth, plating five runs on five hits. Pat Porter ripped a liner up the middle to make it 5-0 to end Bartley’s day on the mound. A fielder’s choice by Kuhn allowed Dawson to score the team’s sixth run vs. relief pitcher Brandon Allen. After an RBI single up the middle by Nennig, Leffel crushed a two-run double to left center to extend the lead to 9-0.

Riga continued to throw well for the Buckeyes, allowing four hits while striking out two over 5.0 scoreless frames before giving way to Adam Niemeyer in the ninth. Niemeyer allowed one run on two hits with a strikeout in his second appearance. Riga improves to 2-1 overall in 2015.

Leffel went 3-for-4 with a double and three RBI, while Gretz was 3-for-4 with three runs scored. Montgomery was 2-for-4 with a double, run scored and two RBI and Porter was 2-foro-4 with a RBI. Nennig was 2-for-2 with two runs scored and a sacrifice.

GAME NOTES: ?Junior Ryan Leffel made his first start of the season at first base and had himself a day. He tied his career-high in hits (3) and RBI (3). He has also reached base safely in six-consecutive plate appearances. ?Montgomery has reached base safely in five-consecutive games. Montgomery also collected his third multi-hit game and second multi-RBI contest. ?Sabanosh extended his reached-base streak to four-consecutive games. ?Five different Buckeyes collected at least two hits in the contest. ?Gretz tied his career-best in runs scored (3) and hits (3). ?Nennig tied his career-high in runs scored (2). ?L Grant Davis knocked his first career hit as a Buckeye in the ninth inning and also scored his first career run, while Jake Brobst picked up his first hit of 2015.