Northwestern Edges Buckeyes, 6-5, in B1G Opener – Ohio State Buckeyes

Friday, March 25

Columbus, Ohio

Ohio State

12-7-1, 0-1

Northwestern

6-16, 1-0

Northwestern

Ohio State

Northwestern Edges Buckeyes, 6-5, in B1G Opener – Ohio State Buckeyes

3/25/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

March 25, 2016

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State baseball team dropped a 6-5 contest in the series opener vs. Northwestern on a chilly Friday night at Nick Swisher Field at Bill Davis Stadium. With the loss the Buckeyes fall to 12-7-1 overall and 0-1 in Big Ten play, while the Wildcats improve to 6-16 and 1-0 in conference action.

“We made some mistakes early in the game, but give them credit, they played well tonight,” head coach Greg Beals said. “Mason pitched the ball well against us but we have to do better. We were hitting too many in the air on a night when the ball wasn’t traveling today. We played well enough in the last four innings to win, but couldn’t overcome the early deficit.”

Senior co-captain Nick Sergakis led the team on the plate, going 3-for-4 with three RBI and three runs scored. On the mound, NU starter Mason Reed tossed six frames and limited the OSU bats to two runs on four hits with six strikeouts in a no decision. NU reliever Cooper Wetherbee earned the win throwing one frame and allowed one run on two hits with a strikeout, while OSU redshirt sophomore Yianni Pavlopoulos received the tough-luck loss as he was charged with the sixth and final run in the ninth to fall to 1-1.

Ryan Leffel knocked a pinch-hit, two-out double to put the Buckeyes within one in the ninth inning

HOW IT HAPPENED
Ohio State’s last-chance rally attempt came up just short in the Big Ten 2016 opener. After allowing two runs in the top of the ninth, the Buckeyes responded when Sergakis sent a single up the middle before a RBI double by senior pinch hitter Ryan Leffel for the Buckeyes’ fifth run. However, a strikeout by NU right-hander Dan Kubiuk closed the door on the Scarlet and Gray.

Ohio State had trouble to collect a string of hits together against Mason through the first five stanzas. The Scarlet and Gray finally got to the Northwestern starter in the bottom of the sixth. Redshirt junior Jacob Bosiokovic doubled to right field before Sergakis launched a two-run shot through the wind in left field to cut the deficit to 4-2.

After allowing two runs in the sixth, Ohio State redshirt sophomore right-handed reliever Austin Woodby sat down the next seven batters he face to keep the Buckeyes within striking distance heading to the bottom of the eighth. Junior left fielder Ronnie Dawson did all he could to trim the lead to one. After a lead-off walk, he stole both second and third to set up Sergakis, who knocked him home on a RBI single through the right side. The bases then were loaded for sophomore Tre’ Gantt who took a 3-2 pitch by NU reliever Pete Hofman high out of the zone for a RBI walk and tie the game at four-all. Ohio State couldn’t push the go-ahead run home when Wetherbee induced a fly out to center field to maintain the 4-4 score.

HOW THE WILDCATS SCORED
Northwestern scored twice in the top of the first vs. Ohio State starter Tanner Tully. Lead-off hitter Jack Dunn reached base on an OSU fielding error. He then scored later in the inning on a passed ball. With a runner on third, the Wildcats ran a safety squeeze play and Jack Claeys beat the toss at the plate for the team’s second run. Northwestern plated two more runs in the sixth to make it a 4-0 contest. A throwing error on a pickoff attempt plated a third run before Dunn singles through the right side with two down vs. Woodby for the fourth.

Northwestern was kept off the scoreboard for the next two frames until its two-run, ninth inning rally vs. the OSU bullpen. A RBI single to center field by Matt Hopfner and sac fly by Claeys vs. OSU sophomore right-hander Seth Kinker pushed the deficit back to two runs in the final inning. In all, the Wildcats plated three hits on two runs in the ninth.

STARTER TALK
After allowing two runs in the top of the first, Tully wouldn’t allow a run in his final four innings of work. He finished with five innings on two runs, one earned, four hits, four walks and four strikeouts in a no decision outing.

UP NEXT
The Buckeyes and Wildcats meet for game two at 3:05 p.m. ET Saturday from Bill Davis Stadium. The game will be streamed on Buckeye Vision ($). Paul Keels and Brian Mannino will have the call on AM 1460 ESPN or on OhioStateBuckeyes.com.

NOTES

The Buckeyes’ five-game win streak was snapped tonight vs. the ‘Cats.
Ohio State is now 4-1 at home in 2016.
Sergakis has reached base in all 20 games. He leads the Big Ten with 35 hits.
Ohio State leads the conference with 22 home runs.
Several Buckeyes also extended their reaches streaks, including Montgomery (11), Dawson (9) and Washington (5).
Ohio State tied its season-high with five stolen bases tonight.
The U.S. flag in left center field was at half-mast in honor of the victims of the Brussels terror attacks.