Montgomery’s Walk-Off Double Claims 9-8 Win Over Toledo – Ohio State Buckeyes

Wednesday, March 30

Columbus, Ohio

Ohio State

16-7-1

Toledo

4-21-1

Toledo

Ohio State

Montgomery’s Walk-Off Double Claims 9-8 Win Over Toledo – Ohio State Buckeyes

3/30/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

March 30, 2016

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Under the lights. Bases loaded. Two outs. Trailing by one. Junior centerfielder Troy Montgomery stepped up to the plate and delivered a walk-off double to claim a 9-8 victory for Ohio State baseball team over Toledo Wednesday night at Nick Swisher Field at Bill Davis Stadium. With the win, the Buckeyes improve to 16-7-1 overall, while the Rockets drop to 4-21-1 in 2016. Ohio State has now won 16-consecutive midweek contests since the 2014 season.

“We certainly didn’t get off to a good start today, but we battled our way back into the ballgame and took a lead,” head coach Greg Beals said. “I give Toledo a lot of credit. They are struggling through a season as far as winning baseball games, but they were absolutely ready to play tonight. There’s no doubt about that. I also give our guys credit too. They fought through and battled tonight. We found a way to win and there is something to be said about that.”

Montgomery went 2-for-5 with two doubles and two RBI, including the game-winning hit in the bottom of the ninth. Senior co-captain infielder Nick Sergakis was 2-for-5 with a double, two runs scored, three RBI, stolen base and home run, while redshirt junior right fielder Jacob Bosiokovic launched his eighth home run of the year on a 1-for-2 day with two runs scored, RBI, two walks and hit by pitch. Senior shortstop Craig Nennig was 2-for-5 with a home run too, while senior infielder Troy Kuhn had a 2-for-4 performance with a lead-off double in the bottom of the ninth.

On the mound, redshirt junior left-hander Joe Stoll tossed four scoreless innings of relief work with a season-high three strikeouts off one hit and one walk. Redshirt sophomore Kyle Michalik threw 1.1 scoreless frames, while senior left-hander Michael Horejsei had 0.2 innings pitched with no runs or hits. Redshirt sophomore Yianni Pavlopoulos received the win to improve to 2-1.

“I liked Joe Stoll a lot today,” Beals said. “He helped calm the waters for us and gave our ball club a chance to get back in the game. I am extremely proud how are team approached the bottom of the ninth inning when nothing was going our way. We strung some great at-bats together. Your big time players have to make big time plays. Kuhn and Montgomery both did that tonight and we got some great at-bats from Cherry and Ratcliff to get those walks too.”

The Buckeyes have now won nine of their last 10 games heading into a non-conference home series vs. Bethune-Cookman Friday-Sunday in Columbus.

HOT DOG PLAY OF THE GAME
It was the inaugural “Dollar Dog” night at Bill Davis Stadium. The “hot dog” play of the game goes to Troy Montgomery. With the bases loaded, he sat dead-red on a fastball on a 3-1 pitch vs. and drove it over the head of Toledo centerfielder A.J. Montoya for the game-winning two-run double. It marked the second straight walk-off victory at Bill Davis Stadium this season.

“We’ve been doing this all year,” Montgomery said. “We all stayed positive with our game plan. Troy Kuhn had a nice double and Jay [Washington] did his job and moved him over. We loaded the bases and got a game-winning double. He threw me a fastball over the plate and good things happened tonight.”

HOW IT HAPPENED AT THE PLATE
Down 4-0, the Buckeyes answered with three runs in the bottom of the first. Sergakis knocked his 10th double of the year in the gap in left center to plate two runs. A sacrifice fly by fellow co-captain Jalen Washington made it a one-run deficit. In the bottom of the second, Nennig launched his second home run in a week with a lead-off dinger over the wall in left to make it a 5-4 game. The Buckeyes took a one-run lead in the bottom of the fifth after Bosiokovic crushed his eighth home run of the year, while Sergakis bounced one off the top of the wall in left for his fourth of the season. Dawson got an insurance run in the eighth on a sac fly before Montgomery launched a two-out double to top the Rockets, 9-8, in the bottom of the ninth. Kuhn led off the at-bat with a lead-off double before Washington advanced him on a sacrifice bunt. A walk to freshman Brady Cherry and senior Zach Ratcliff loaded the bases. Both Kuhn and senior pinch runner Jake Brobst scored on the play (Brobst was on tonight’s program cover, fittingly).

ANOTHER BOSI BOMB
Bosiokovic continued to mash. On a 1-2 pitch, he swung…hard. And didn’t miss, crushing his third home run in three games deep into the darkness behind Nick Swisher Field. He’s second in the league with eight home runs only behind Purdue’s Kyle Wood (9).

TOLEDO SCORING PLAYS
The Rockets notched four runs on five hits in the first frame highlighted by a two-run home run by Montoya to left center field. A double by Ryan Callahan and single by Brad Boss plated two more runs to jump the away team in front, 4-0. In the second, Toledo extended its lead to two runs when Dalton Bollinger lined a double to left center with two down. Down 7-5, the Rockets hung three runs in the top of the ninth to take a one-run lead. Bollinger doubled to right field to plate two, while Martillotta singled to center field to score Toledo’s eighth run.

ON THE MOUND
Stoll tossed four scoreless innings (career-high) and allowed one hit with three strikeouts (career-high) and one walk. Michalik pitched the next 1.1 innings and allowed one hit but no runs. Senior left-hander Michael Horejsei made his 11th appearance on the mound and tossed 0.2 frames. Redshirt sophomore right-hander Yianni Pavlopoulos received the win after one inning on three runs, three hits with three strikeouts. Redshirt sophomore right-hander Austin Woodby gave up five runs on eight hits with one walk and two strikeouts in a no decision in his first collegiate start.

“I just tried to keep the team in the game and be ready whenever my number is called,” Stoll said. “It’s great to see a bunch a people out here tonight supporting us defend our home turf.”

UP NEXT
Ohio State hosts Bethune-Cookman Friday-Sunday in Columbus. First pitch on Friday is at 6:35 p.m. ET on Buckeye Vision ($). Games two and three will be streamed on BTN Plus ($). Fans can also listen on AM 1460 ESPN or on OhioBuckeyes.com. Paul Keels (play-by-play), Brian Mannino (analysis) and Bob Spears (analysis) will have the call.

WORTHY NOTES

The Buckeyes have won 16 straight midweek games (since ’14)
Ohio State is 7-1 in home games and 9-1 in its last 10 contests overall.
The squad has collected eight comeback wins this season.
The Buckeyes are now 30-7-1 all-time vs. Toledo and unbeaten in 24 straight games. Ohio State is 2-0-1 vs. the Rockets this year.
Sergakis has reached base in all 24 games. He is first in the Big Ten with 40 hits and 10 doubles. His hit streak also extends to seven-consecutive games.
The Buckeyes lead the Big Ten with 29 home runs. They hit three home runs in a game for the fourth time this season. The Scarlet and Gray have 10 home runs at Bill Davis Stadium through eight games.
Bosiokovic has launched a home run in three straight games to up his total to a team-high eight on the year, while Sergakis has four long balls on the season (career-high). Nennig tallied the second home run of his career tonight and second dinger in a week span.
Other Buckeyes also extended their reaches streaks, including Montgomery (15), Bosiokovic (9) and Washington (9).
Sergakis had his 13^th multi-hit game (team-high), Montgomery registered his fifth and Nennig picked up his third of the year.
Kuhn made his second start at second base.
Montgomery notched his eighth steal of the year and 47th his career. He tied his career high with two doubles.
Stoll struck out a game-high three batters in his sixth appearance.
Woodby made his first collegiate start.