Hoosiers Rally to Defeat Ohio State, 6-4 – Ohio State Buckeyes

Thursday, May 14

Bloomington, Ind.

Ohio State

35-16, 13-9

Indiana

30-20, 10-10

Ohio State

Indiana

Hoosiers Rally to Defeat Ohio State, 6-4 – Ohio State Buckeyes

5/15/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

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May 15, 2015

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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — The Ohio State baseball team suffered a 6-4 defeat in the opening game at Indiana Thursday night at Bart Kaufman Field. With the loss, the Buckeyes fall to 35-16 overall and 13-9 in Big Ten play, while the Hoosiers improve to 30-20 and 10-10 in conference action.

After the Buckeyes took a 4-3 lead in the sixth inning with three runs, the Hoosiers rallied with three runs in the bottom of the eighth in the come-from-behind win. Logan Sowers hit a one-out solo home run over the wall in left to tie it at 4-all while a double and single gave Indiana a 6-4 advantage vs. the OSU bullpen.

Pat Porter led off the top of the ninth with a single to left, but Ohio State could not rally vs. IU reliever Scott Effross as the Hoosiers snapped Ohio State’s eight-game road win streak.

It was the Pat Porter show on Thursday night on Big Ten Network. The senior right fielder went 4-for-5 with a run scored, home run and four RBI. He also extended his reached-base streak to 31-consecutive games (career-high). However, the Buckeyes stranded 11 runners on base in the loss.

Ohio State had a great chance to strike the board in the top of the first, but left two runners in scoring positions as IU starter Luke Harrison struck out three straight batters. In the second, the Buckeyes loaded the bases against the right-hander with two down, but he induced a ground out to third to keep it scoreless.

Indiana took a 1-0 lead in the bottom half when Craig Dedelow hit a solo home run over the right field wall. Ohio State starter Adam Niemeyer gave up a two-out single to right field by Dedelow with the bases loaded to push the Hoosier lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the third. He limited the damage to two runs when Craig Nennig fielded a ground ball up the middle for the final out the inning. The Scarlet and Gray had two aboard in the fourth, but a 4-6-3 double play killed a potential rally.

In the top of the fifth, Porter finally got the Buckeyes’ big hit they were looking for when he launched his 10th home run of the year with a three-run dinger over the wall in right to tie it at 3-3. The long ball ended Harrison’s day on the mound as reliever Thomas Belcher came in with one down. Niemeyer got through the fifth with no problem when he struck out two IU batters to keep the score knotted at 3-all.

In the sixth, Porter struck again against the IU pitching staff when he sent a two-out RBI single to center to score Nennig to give the Buckeyes a 4-3 lead.

In the bottom of the seventh, L Grant Davis flashed the leather at second base on a liner for an inning-ending double play. Senior co-captain catcher Aaron Gretz caught a runner stealing to begin the frame.

Niemeyer received a no decision, allowing three runs on six hits with two walks and four strikeouts in five innings of work. Kyle Michalik pitched a scoreless sixth and seventh innings with a pair of strikeouts and two walks. Michael Horejsei received the loss to fall to 1-1, allowing three runs on two hits with a walk in the eighth in 0.1 innings pitched. Trace Dempsey gave up two hits with a strikeout in 0.2 innings of work.

Game two vs. the Hoosiers begins at 6:35 p.m. ET Friday in Bloomington. The contest will be streamed on BTN Plus ($) and fans can listen on AM 1460 ESPN.

GAME NOTES

Pat Porter extended his reached base streak to 31 straight games, while Troy Montgomery kept the pace, reaching base for the 27th-consecutive contest.
Montgomery stole second in the top of the first and again in the top of the fifth for his 33rd and 34th stolen bases of the year. He passed former Buckeyes Mike Check (2001) and Roy Marsh (1993) for third on the OSU all-time list and is one shy of tying the OSU single-season record held by Mike Harris with 35 steals back in 2001.
Tre’ Gantt extend his hit streak to seven straight games with a single to right center in the second. He claimed his fourth multi-hit game this season.
Craig Nennig had his 13th multi-hit game, while Aaron Gretz extended his hit streak to eight straight games.
Trace Dempsey made his 100th career appearance tonight.