Ohio State
26-10, 9-3
No. 24 Nebraska
29-13, 6-6
Tenth Inning Rally Lifts Buckeyes Past No. 24 Nebraska, 5-2 – Ohio State Buckeyes
4/19/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 19, 2015
LINCOLN, Neb. — Senior co-captain Aaron Gretz collected the go-ahead RBI single as the Ohio State baseball team plated three runs in the tenth inning to defeat No. 24 Nebraska, 5-2, in the series finale at Hawks Field. With the series victory, the Buckeyes improve to 26-10 overall and 9-3 in Big Ten play, while the Huskers fall to 26-12 and 6-6 in conference action.
”It’s great to get a road series victory against a good ball club,” head coach Greg Beals said. “I felt good about how we played. We had to grind it out and our pitching was really good. Offensively, we put ourselves in good position but couldn’t get the big hits early on. The tenth inning we really put together some quality at-bats and stayed on the baseball.”
Ronnie Dawson and Nick Sergaks started the rally with back-to-back one-out singles vs. reliever Colton Howell. Gretz then singled to left field on a 1-0 pitch to give Ohio State the 3-2 lead. With two down, a Nebraska throwing error allowed two more runs to cross for the 5-2 advantage.
Senior closer Trace Dempsey tossed a season-high three innings and allowed no runs on three hits with three strikeouts to improve to 8-1. Ohio State starter Ryan Riga received a no decision in the contest, throwing seven innings and allowed six hits on two runs with four strikeouts and two walks.
“Ryan Riga pitched well through seven innings and had a couple tight situations, but was able to get out of a jam in the fifth,” Beals said. “I didn’t want to go home without Dempsey pitching and he got us a much-needed scoreless eighth inning.”
It was another classic Ohio State-Nebraska game as the score remained close in the series finale in Lincoln. Ohio State took a 2-0 lead with a run in the first and third innings, respectively. But the Huskers tied it at 2-all with a run in the third and sixth frames.
The Buckeye bats came out swinging to begin the game and plated two runs on six hits vs. Nebraska starter Derek Burkamper. Troy Montgomery blasted his third home run of the year deep over the wall in right center to begin the OSU day at the plate. In the third inning, Nick Sergakis pushed Pat Porter around on a RBI single to left field. Burkamper only lasted 2.2 innings and was replaced by lefty Jake Meyers with two down and the bases loaded. Meyers kept it a two-run game when he induced a groundout by Nennig.
The Huskers claimed their first hit of the day in the bottom half of the third vs. Riga. They made it a 2-1 game when Jake Placzek sent a sac fly to right with runners on the corners.
Riga got into some trouble in the bottom of the fifth as Nebraska had runners on second and third and one down. A single, throwing error by Riga and sac bunt set up the Husker scoring chance.
Meyers continued to quite the OSU bats, sending down eight in a row on the mound until Tre’ Gantt sent a single to left with one down in the top of the sixth. Meyers was then relieved by right-hander Jeff Chesnut. Gantt was picked off at first base and a grounder ended the frame. Meyers went 2.2 innings and allowed one hit with a strikeout.
Nebraska tied it at 2-all in the bottom of the sixth when Ben Miller hit a solo home run deep over the wall in right. Riga left a runner on second base with his fourth strikeout of the day.
In the top of the seventh, Montgomery lined a one-out double to left center, but Chesnut got a pop-up and groundout to end the OSU chance. Riga stranded a runner on in the bottom of the seventh when L Grant Davis made a nice diving play at second for the final out.
Howell relieved Chesnut to begin the eighth. A one-out double by Sergakis was wasted as Ohio State could not put the go-ahead run on the board. Chestnut threw 1.2 innings and limited the Scarlet and gray to one hit with a strikeout.
Trace Dempsey relieved Riga in the eighth inning. A one-out double and fielding error put runners on the corners with two down, but Dempsey struck out pinch hitter Christian Cox to keep it knotted at two. Davis led off the ninth with a lead-off single, but a strikeout and 4-6-3 double play ended the potential rally.
UP NEXT
Ohio State hosts Morehead State in a two-game midweek series Tuesday-Wednesday at Nick Swisher Field at Bill Davis Stadium.
GAME NOTES
- Troy Montgomery extended his hit streak to 10-consecutive games and his reached base streak to 13 straight contests. He went 2-for-4 with a home run and double for his 11th multi-hit contest.
- Pat Porter extended his reached base streak to 16 straight.
- Tre’ Gantt went 2-for-2 with two walks and stolen base for his second multi-hit game of the year. He’s on a four-game hit streak.
- Nick Sergakis picked up his fifth multi-hit performance.
- Trace Dempsey made his 92nd career appearance, which is tied for second-most all-time.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Dempsey, Trace (8-1)
L: Howell, Colton (1-3)
Batting:
2B: Montgomery, Troy 1 ; Sergakis, Nick 1
HR: Montgomery, Troy 1
RBI: Montgomery, Troy 1 ; Sergakis, Nick 1 ; Gretz, Aaron 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Montgomery, Troy 1 ; Porter, Pat 1 ; Dawson, Ronnie 1 ; Sergakis, Nick 1 ; Gretz, Aaron 1
SB: Gantt, Tre' 1
PO: Gantt, Tre' 1
Batting:
2B: Darby, Austin 1
HR: Miller, Ben 1
RBI: Placzek, Jake 1 ; Miller, Ben 1
SH: Boldt, Ryan 1 ; Darby, Austin 1
SF: Placzek, Jake 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Miller, Ben 1 ; Alvarado, Luis 1
SB: Darby, Austin 1
CS: Lubach, Tanner 1
HBP: Miller, Ben 1
