Bosiokovic’s Walk-Off Home Run Lifts Buckeyes to Series Win – Ohio State Buckeyes

Sunday, March 27

Columbus, Ohio

Ohio State

14-7-1, 2-1

Northwestern

6-18, 1-2

Northwestern

Ohio State

Bosiokovic’s Walk-Off Home Run Lifts Buckeyes to Series Win – Ohio State Buckeyes

3/27/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

March 27, 2016

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Buckeyes are never out of a game. A two-out, two-run walk-off home run by redshirt junior Jacob Bosiokovic highlighted a 5-4 come-from-behind victory for the Ohio State baseball team over Northwestern Sunday afternoon at Nick Swisher Field at Bill Davis Stadium. It marked Bosiokovic’s team-best sixth home run and second walk-off dinger of the season to help the Buckeyes claim the Big Ten series win and improve to 14-7-1 overall and 2-1 in conference play, while the Wildcats fall to 6-18 and 1-2 in league action.

“Baseball is a humbling game in victory and in defeat,” sixth-year head coach Greg Beals said. “It was a humbling of a win as you can get. I have a ton of respect for Coach Allen and the way his guys played this weekend. They put our backs against the wall and fortunately we were able to get that one big hit to win a ball game.”

The win was the seventh comeback victory of the season for the Scarlet and Gray. Down 4-3 in the bottom of the ninth, junior center fielder Troy Montgomery worked a two-out walk to set up Bosiokovic. Back in the lineup this weekend, Bosiokovic, a native of Delaware, Ohio, blasted a 2-1 pitch vs. NU reliever Pete Hofman over the wall in left center and took the trot around the bases before being mauled at home plate by his teammates to close an exciting first week of Ohio State baseball in Columbus.

“I was just trying to barrel up a pitch,” Bosiokovic said. “I think it was a changeup or two-seam – something running in. Luckily it took off and it felt good when it left the bat. It was great to do it in front of my family and friends. Just being at home with the fans was something special. Those moments will never get old.”

Sophomore pitcher Seth Kinker received the win to improve to 3-1, tossing the final three innings and gave up one run on three hits with a career-high five strikeouts.

SCORING BY THE LONG BALL
The Buckeyes homered three times in the series finale vs. the `Cats. Montgomery drilled his fifth home run of the year to the deepest part of the ball park in the bottom of the third for a solo shot to trim the deficit to 3-1. In the sixth, senior co-captain Nick Sergakis launched his second home run of the series and third of the season with a solo home run vs. NU starter Dan Kubiuk to make it a 3-2 contest. Sergakis made it a one-run game again in the bottom half of the eighth with a sacrifice fly to right field. The Buckeyes lead the Big Ten with 25 home runs in 2016.

“We have guys that go out there and do what they are capable of,” Sergakis said. “Montgomery’s home run. Even his walk in the ninth was big. Bosi’s [Bosiokovic] walk-off home run. We are capable of coming up with big plays. If we believe in ourselves and fight every out of the game, we are going to be tough to beat. We need to attack in every aspect of the game.”

HOW THE WILDCATS SCORED
Northwestern scored three runs on two hits in the top of the second. A RBI single by RJ Watters made it 1-0. A RBI ground out then followed by an OSU throwing error to push the Wildcats’ advantage to three. Northwesetern gained a two-run lead for the second time on the afternoon in the top of the eighth when Watters knocked in his second RBI vs. the OSU pitching staff with a single up the middle.

STARTER TALK
Senior left-hander pitcher John Havird received a no decision in a strong performance on the hill for the Buckeyes. He threw six innings and scattered eight hits on three runs, two earned, two walks with six strikeouts. In the top of the sixth with the bases loaded, Havird, a native of Mesa, Ariz., struck out back-to-back batters before senior shortstop Craig Nennig made a strong throw across the diamond to strand the runners and keep the Buckeyes within striking distance.

UP NEXT
Ohio State travels to face Ohio at 6 p.m. ET Tuesday in Athens, Ohio.

WORTHY NOTES

The Buckeyes improve to 99-49 all-time vs. Northwestern.
Ohio State is now 6-1 at home in 2016.
The Buckeyes lead the Big Ten with 25 home runs.
Sergakis has reached base in all 22 games. He leads the Big Ten with 37 hits. He batted .500 (5-for-10) with two home runs, five RBI, three walks and three stolen bases in the series.
Bosiokovic leads the team with six home runs and has 11 in his OSU career.
The Buckeyes tied their season high with three home runs in a single game.
The OSU pitching staff struck out 30 batters to just even walks vs. the Wildcats during the weekend series.
Other Buckeyes also extended their reaches streaks, including Montgomery (13), Bosiokovic (7) and Washington (7).