Buckeyes Down USC, 5-2, to Close Out MLB Desert Invitational

Sunday, February 18

Phoenix, AZ

7:00 PM

Ohio State

2-1

University of Southern California

0-3

USC

Ohio State

Buckeyes Down USC, 5-2, to Close Out MLB Desert Invitational

2/18/2024 11:16:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Photo Gallery

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – The Ohio State baseball team (2-1) closed out play at the MLB Desert Invitational on Sunday with a 5-2 victory over future Big Ten opponent USC (0-3). The Buckeyes went 2-1 on the weekend, earning victories over BYU and USC after falling to Boston College in the opening game of the tournament.

Game Recap

It was a pitcher's duel to start the game. Starter Gavin Bruni fanned four through his first two innings on the mound.
In the bottom of the second, Mitchell Okuley doubled to record the first hit of the day for the Buckeyes and he advanced to third on the next play, but he was stranded.
The Trojans went down in order in the top of the third, including another K for Bruni.
In his first collegiate at-bat in the bottom of the third inning, Zach Fjelstad recorded his first career hit, singling to center field.
An RBI double and a score on an Ohio State error from the Trojans gave them a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth frame.
The Buckeyes answered in the home half of the inning. With one out on the board, Okuley doubled to right field. Joseph Mershon was up next at the plate and he drew a walk to put two runners on. With two outs, Josh Stevenson singled up the middle, scoring Okuley to cut the USC lead in half, 2-1.
After once again retiring the Trojans in order in the top of the fifth, the Buckeye offense began to gain momentum. Trey Lipsey hit an infield single to lead off the inning, followed by an RBI double from Henry Kaczmar to tie the score, 2-2. Kaczmar advanced to third on a wild pitch, Tyler Pettorini was walked and Okuley was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Mason Eckelman, making his first collegiate start behind the dish, was walked to send his cousin Kaczmar home and give the Buckeyes their first lead of the game, 3-2.
Fjelstad was walked to lead off the bottom of the sixth inning, followed by a single from Lipsey. The bases were soon loaded after Matthew Graveline drew a walk. Pettorini stepped up to the plate and singled to center field, sending Fjelstad home to give Ohio State a two-run lead, 4-2.
In the bottom of the eighth, Fjelstad and Lipsey reached base on back-to-back errors from the Trojans. A sacrifice fly from Pettorini scored Fjelstad to put the Buckeyes ahead, 5-2.
Justin Eckhardt came out to the mound for the ninth inning. After a ground-out on the first play of the inning, the next Trojan batter doubled. Eckhardt, however, made quick work of the next two batters up, with a foul-out to first base and a swinging strikeout to end the game and cement the Ohio State win.

Buckeyes by the Numbers

Lipsey and Okuley led the Buckeyes in hits with two each.
Pettorini batted in a team-high two runs.
Fjelstad led the team in runs scored with two.
Bruni (1-0) earned the win. He fanned six and gave up one earned run on three hits in 5.0 innings pitched.
Gavin DeVooght, making his Buckeye debut, fanned two in a 2.0-inning relief appearance.
Eckhardt earned the save and struck out one.
The four Buckeye pitchers on the night (Bruni, DeVooght, Blaine Wynk and Eckhardt) did not allow any walks.

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