Ohio State Edged by Illinois State, 5-4 – Ohio State Buckeyes

Saturday, March 5

Port Charlotte, FL

Ohio State

6-3-1

Illinois State

3-6

Illinois State

Ohio State

Ohio State Edged by Illinois State, 5-4 – Ohio State Buckeyes

3/5/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

March 5, 2016

RELATED INFO
Follow the Buckeyes on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram | Box Score | Season Stats | PDF: Box Score

PORT CHARLOTTE, FLA. – The Ohio State baseball team fell, 5-4, to Illinois State in its second contest at the 2016 Snowbird Classic Saturday afternoon in Port Charlotte, Fla. With the loss, the Buckeyes fall to 6-3-1, while the Redbirds improve to 3-6 in 2016.

Knotted at 4-all, Illinois State took advantage of an OSU fielding error in the top of the ninth to plate the fifth and final run of the non-conference matchup. With runners on first and third, a ground out scored as a fielder’s choice pushed around the eventual game-winning run. In the bottom half, the Buckeyes had two runners aboard, but failed to even the tides vs. right-hander reliever Jack Landwehr.

At the plate, Jalen Washington had a career day, going 4-for-4 with a walk, run scored and RBI. Freshman right-hander Ryan Feltner received the loss, throwing 2.2 innings on two hits, two runs (no earned) with a pair of punch outs and a walk.

The Buckeyes conclude action at the Snowbird Classic at 1 p.m. ET Sunday against Boston College (8-1) at Field No. 6 at North Charlotte Regional Park.

BUCKEYE SCORING PLAYS
Down 3-0, Brady Cherry knocked a one-out single through the left side in the second, while Washington pulled a single to left in the following frame to cut the deficit to one run. In the fifth, Washington poked a slider off the end of his bat for a two-out RBI double down the right field line, scoring Ronnie Dawson who doubled and stole third base earlier in the inning to tie it at 3-all.

It didn’t take long for the Buckeyes to rebound. In the bottom of the seventh, on a 1-0 pitch, Troy Montgomery drilled a fastball over the right field wall vs. left-hander Jack Czeszewsk for a solo home run. Ohio State had a great chance to take the lead in the seventh, but a called strike three left the bases loaded.

STARTER TALK
Redshirt sophomore right-hander Adam Niemeyer allowed two runs in the first and one in the second, but then settled down on the mound, throwing four straight scoreless innings. He sent down seven straight hitters after Illinois State scored its third run of the afternoon. Overall, he tossed six innings and scattered four hits on three runs, two earned, no walks and four strikeouts in his third start.

OTHER REDBIRDS’ SCORING PLAYS
Illinois State crossed the dish twice in the opening stanza, scoring on a RBI ground out and passed ball. The Redbirds pushed the lead to 3-0 in the top of the second when Ryan Hutchinson hit a RBI double to left center. Illinois State regained the lead in the top of the seventh following an OSU fielding error and single through the right side set up a RBI grounder that scored as a fielder’s choice by lead-off hitter Daniel Dwyer.

TOP PLAY
Senior co-captain Nick Sergakis made the play of the day in the sixth. The OSU second baseman dove for a pop-up in short shallow center field for the final out the frame.

WORTHY NOTES

Ohio State falls to 0-2 all-time vs. Illinois State.
The Buckeyes have launched 13 home runs this year to lead the Big Ten.
Washington notched his first career four-hit performance. He extended his reached base streak to six-consecutive games. He also posted his sixth and seventh RBI of the season.
Montgomery hit his third home run of the season.
Cherry picked up his fifth RBI of 2016.
Feltner made his third appearance of the season, while Pavlopoulos made his fifth appearance.
Dawson pushed his reached base streak to eight in a row.
Sergakis’ nine-game hit streak was snapped vs. the Redbirds.