Buckeyes Fall to Arizona State on Opening Day

Friday, February 14

Phoenix, Ariz.

8:30 P.M. EST/6:30 P.M. MST

Ohio State

0-1

Arizona State

1-0

Ohio State

Arizona State

Buckeyes Fall to Arizona State on Opening Day

2/15/2025 1:38:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

PHOENIX, Ariz. – The Ohio State baseball team (0-1) fell to Arizona State (1-0), 9-8, in a back-and-forth game on Opening Day in Phoenix.
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Game Recap

With two outs on the board in the top of the first inning, Tyler Pettorini drew a walk. Marc Stephens stepped up in the box and in his first at bat as a Buckeye, he sent a laser down the left field line, doubling to send Pettorini home and give Ohio State a 1-0 lead. Mason Eckelman was next at the dish and he singled into center field to score Stephens and put the Buckeyes ahead, 2-0.
In the bottom of the first, the Sun Devils scored on an Ohio State error and then hit a two-run home run to take a 3-2 lead over the Buckeyes.
Ryan Miller led off with a single to center field in the second frame. A long double from Nick Giamarusti that was just shy of surpassing the left center field wall sent Miller home to tie things up, 3-3.
In the bottom of the third inning, the Sun Devils hit a three-run home run to reclaim the lead, 6-3.
The first home run of the season for the Buckeyes went to Miller as he crushed one 449 feet over the fence in right center in the top of the fourth inning to cut the Arizona State lead to two, 6-4.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, reliever Hunter Shaw caught two Sun Devils swinging and helped keep the Buckeye deficit at just two runs. 6-4.
Giamarusti led off the seventh inning with a walk, and then swiped second after a pitching change. Reggie Bussey then recorded his first hit as a Buckeye, singling to left field and advancing on the throw to score Giamarusti and put Ohio State within one run of the Sun Devils, 6-5. Trey Lipsey was next up and he singled and then he and Bussey executed a successful double steal. Matthew Graveline drew a walk to load the bases for the Buckeyes. A sacrifice fly from Pettorini sent Bussey home to tie the score, 6-6. With one out on the board, Eckelman stepped up to the plate and smoked one down the left field line, sending Lipsey and Graveline both across home plate to put the Buckeyes back in the lead, 8-6.
The Sun Devils answered in the bottom of the seventh, however. An RBI single and an RBI groundout tied the score, 8-8. Arizona State went ahead, 9-8, after an RBI double.
In the top of the ninth, Graveline was walked to lead off the inning. With one out, Stephens singled to left field and advanced Graveline into scoring position, but a double play ended the game as the Buckeyes fell to the Sun Devils, 9-8.

Buckeyes by the Numbers

The Buckeyes totaled 11 hits on Opening Day.
Lipsey, Stephens, Eckelman, Miller and Giamarusti each had two hits.
Eckelman led the Buckeyes with a career-high three RBIs.
Blaine Wynk started on the mound. He gave up six runs on four hits in 3.0 innings pitched. He struck out two.
Shaw (0-1) took the loss. He fanned three and allowed three runs on three hits in 3.0 innings tossed.

Up Next

The Buckeyes continue their series against the Sun Devils with games on Saturday, Feb. 15 and Sunday, Feb. 16, both beginning at 1:00 p.m. MST/3:00 p.m. EST.

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