Gretz, Tully Lead Buckeyes to 9-2 Win at Northwestern – Ohio State Buckeyes
4/24/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 24, 2015
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio State baseball team claimed a 9-2 victory in the opening game at Northwestern at Rocky Miller Park. With the victory, the Buckeyes improve to 29-10 overall and 10-3 in Big Ten play, while the Wildcats fall to 13-27 and 4-9 in conference action.
“It started on the mound Tanner Tully and he gave us a great start today,” head coach Greg Beals said. “We had a big inning in the third and answered again in the fourth. When you are able to give our pitching staff a lead like that, it’s going to be tough to beat us. It was also great to see Aaron Gretz have a career day at the plate.”
Senior co-captain Aaron Gretz went 4-for-4 with two doubles, three runs scored and two RBI, while starting pitcher Tanner Tully limited the Northwestern bats to two runs on six hits to improve to 4-2.
The Buckeyes struck the scoreboard first in the top of the second when an errant throw after a sac bunt by Tre’ Gantt allowed Aaron Gretz to cross home plate. He notched a one-out double to left center. In the top of the third, the Buckeyes added to their lead with four runs on five hits. Nick Sergakis sent a screamer off the wall in right to plate Pat Porter and Ronnie Dawson, respectively. A RBI groundout by Craig Nennig made it 4-0. Jalen Washington singled to right center push Gretz around the dish.
After Tully denied the `Cats in the third, the Buckeyes tallied two more runs in the top of the fourth following back-to-back RBI hits by Gretz and Sergakis, respectively. Northwestern claimed their first hit of the day in the bottom of the fourth vs. Tully and erased the shutout when Hunter singled to left center. Tully kept it a 7-1 game when he induced a ground out. A sac fly by Washington in the top of the sixth plated Gretz to push the lead to 8-1.
The Wildcats scored a run in the bottom of the sixth vs. Tully on a RBI double by Jones down the left field line. A sacrifice fly by Gretz in the seventh scored Porter to make it a 9-2 contest. Kyle Michalik pitched a scoreless eighth inning, while Shea Murray closed out the contest with a scoreless ninth.
The Scarlet and Gray had a 14-6 advantage in hits and did not commit an error. Tully tallied his seventh quality start of the season to improve to 4-2 in 2015. Tully went seven innings and limited the NU bats to two runs on six hits with two strikeouts and two walks.
UP NEXT
Ohio State and Northwestern will meet in game two at 2 p.m. ET Saturday at Rocky Miller Park.
GAME NOTES
- With a double in the top of the first, Pat Porter extended his reached base streak to 19 games. Troy Montgomery has reached base safely in 16-consecutive games.
- Aaron Gretz extended his hit streak to 10-consectuvie contests with a 4-for-4 performance (career-high) with two doubles, three runs scored (tied career-high) and a RBI. It was Gretz’ fourth multi-hit game.
- Ronnie Dawson collected his 15th multi-hit game, while Nick Sergakis had his sixth multi-hit game of the season.
- Sergakis had a career-best three RBI.
- Jalen Washington picked up his first career multi-RBI game with a pair of RBIs.
#GoBucks
