Ohio State Falls to UCONN in Game Two of Series

Saturday, February 18

Sarasota, Fla.

4:00 pm

Ohio State

1-1

UCONN (Snowbird Classic)

1-1

UCONN

Ohio State

Ohio State Falls to UCONN in Game Two of Series

2/18/2023 10:07:29 PM | Baseball

Box Score

SARASOTA, Fla. – The Buckeye baseball team (1-1) fell to the UCONN Huskies (1-1), 9-6, at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota on Saturday. The scheduled four-game series is now evened at one game apiece after Ohio State won the series-opener, 3-0, last night.

Game Recap

The Buckeyes took the early lead; Marcus Ernst hit a solo homer over the fence in center field to put Ohio State ahead, 1-0, in the bottom of the first inning.

BOTTOM 1? | SEE YA, BALL @marcusernst02 goes yard and the Buckeyes lead, 1-0#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/l8acTxo1wz

— Ohio State Baseball (@OhioStateBASE) February 18, 2023

UCONN got on the board in the top of the third inning; after a two-RBI triple and a sac fly, the Huskies took a two-run lead, 3-1.
In the bottom of the fourth with one out on the board, Tyler Pettorini hit an infield single. Nick Erwin then hit a drifting double down the right field line to put two runners in scoring position. A ground-out from Henry Kaczmar gave Pettorini time to score and cut the UCONN lead to one, 3-2.
The Huskies, however, extended their lead in the fifth, scoring three runs, including two off a homerun, to get ahead of the Buckeyes by four, 6-2.
In the bottom of the sixth, freshman catcher Matthew Graveline led off the inning with the first hit of his collegiate career; a hard-hit infield single. Erwin and Kaczmar were both walked after a UCONN pitching change to load the bases, but the runners were stranded after an inning-ending double play.
Another two-RBI homerun for the Huskies in the top of the seventh inning put them ahead by six, 8-2.
The Buckeyes, however, made up some ground in the bottom of the seventh frame. Trey Lipsey was walked to start the inning and then stole second. Ernst was also walked and both advanced on a balk to put runners on second and third. Kade Kern drew a walk, loading the bases for Ohio State. Mitchell Okuley and Graveline were walked back-to-back, sending two runs across the plate to cut the UCONN lead in half, 8-4. Pettorini reached base on a Huskies’ error and Kern scored and a sac fly from Erwin sent Okuley home to leave OSU trailing by just two runs, 8-6.
Both teams went scoreless in the eighth inning and the Huskies added one more run in the ninth to get ahead by three, 9-6.
The Buckeyes went down in order in the bottom of the ninth and fell to UCONN, 9-6, to even the series, 1-1.

Buckeyes by the Numbers

Kern led the team in stolen bases with two, tying his single-game high. Lipsey and Pettorini each swiped one bag.
Ernst, Kern, Graveline, Pettorini, Lipsey and Erwin each had one hit.
Ernst, Okuley, Graveline, Erwin and Kaczmar each earned one RBI.
Justin Eckhardt (0-1) started on the mound; he struck out two and gave up three earned runs on six hits in 5.0 innings pitched.
Nolan Clegg tossed an inning and a third of scoreless, hitless ball; he struck out two and walked two.

Up Next

The Buckeyes continue their four-game series with UCONN as part of the Snowbird Classic with game three on Sunday, Feb. 19 at 4:00 p.m. at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota.

#GoBucks