Buckeyes Fall 11-8 to Rutgers
5/1/2022 4:14:34 PM | Baseball
COLUMBUS, OH – In game three of the weekend series against Rutgers, the Buckeyes jumped out to a five-run lead early but ultimately fell 11-8 to the Scarlet Knights for the series sweep.
The Buckeyes fall to 13-26 on the season and 3-13 in Big Ten play.
Notes
- The Buckeyes matched the Scarlet Knights in the hit column, each team tallying 12.
- Drew Reckart hit his sixth home run of the season, his first since March 6th and first ever at Bill Davis Stadium.
- Brent Todys had a three-hit day, his second of the season and fourth multi-hit game of the year including two this weekend.
- Mitchell Okuley homered for the third time in four games and led the team with three RBI in his two-hit day.
- Zach Dezenzo and Kade Kern each had multi-hit days. Kern has now reached safely in 22 straight games.
- Wyatt Loncar had a solid outing, allowing just five hits and one walk through five innings, fanning five with three earned runs to his name.
How it Happened
The Buckeyes broke open the game with a big first inning. Zach Dezenzo’s one-out single followed by walks to Trey Lipsey and Colton Bauer loaded the bases. Brent Todys’ two-out, two-RBI single gave the Buckeyes their first runs of the game. After a Drew Reckart walk that loaded the bases for a second time, Mitchell Okuley drove in two with another two-RBI single to make it 4-0 Buckeyes after one.
Rutgers chipped away in the second and third off of starter Wyatt Loncar. A leadoff hit by pitch followed by a single and two fly outs allowed the Scarlet Knight runners to advance, with the lead runner crossing home for their first run. In the third, two solo home runs made it 4-3 Buckeyes, but Ohio State matched Rutgers’ power hitting in the home half with two of their own. A two-run blast from Drew Reckart and a solo shot by Mitchell Okuley made it a four-run lead again. Later, a Kade Kern RBI single scored Zach Dezenzo, who doubled two batters earlier, to make it 8-3 Buckeyes after three.
That score held until Rutgers’ big sixth. Three hit by pitches, three singles, a walk, and a three-run home run in the inning by the Scarlet Knights gave them five runs to tie the score at 8-8 after six. Three solo home runs, one in the seventh and two in the eighth, made it 11-8 Rutgers after their eighth inning at-bat. After a shutout inning by Nate Karaffa in the ninth, the Buckeyes were unable to plate a run in their last at-bat.
Up Next
The Buckeyes travel to Kent State, head coach Greg Beals’ alma mater, for a midweek matchup on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. before departing for Evanston, Illinois for a three game series against Northwestern next weekend.
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