May 17, 2012
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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Ohio State baseball team dropped a 10-8 decision to Indiana Thursday afternoon at Sembower Field. With the loss, the Buckeyes fall to 31-23 on the season, 11-11 in the Big Ten, while the Hoosiers improve to 28-26, 14-8 in conference play. Ohio State will still remain in at least a tie for sixth place heading into play Friday.
The Buckeyes took an 8-1 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning but a six-run seventh and a three-run eighth gave the Hoosiers the come-from-behind victory.
Ohio State took the lead with three runs off Indiana starter Joey DeNato in the top of the second. David Corna put the Buckeyes on the board with a one-out solo home run to left, his team-leading sixth of the season. Kirby Pellant followed with a single up the middle, advanced to second on a throwing error on a pickoff attempt by DeNato and scored on an RBI double to left-center by Greg Solomon. Tim Wetzel then lined an RBI single up the middle to plate Solomon and push the lead to 3-0.
The Buckeyes extended the lead to 4-0 in the top of the third when Brad Hallberg doubled to left and came around to score on a two-out RBI double to left by Corna.
Indiana got a run back against Ohio State starter Jaron Long in the bottom of the frame when Chris Sujka singled to left and scored on a two-out RBI single to center by Kyle Schwarber to cut the Ohio State lead to 4-1.
However, the Buckeyes responded with a run in the top of the fifth when Hallberg took DeNato deep to left for a solo shot to extend the advantage to 5-1.
The Hoosiers threatened again in the bottom of the fifth, loading the bases with one down on a walk and a pair of singles, but Long induced a 6-4-3 double play by Sam Travis to end the threat and preserve the 5-1 lead.
Ohio State then used three singles and a Hoosier error to tack on two more in the top of the sixth. Wetzel reached on an infield single to lead off the inning and a throwing error by Indiana reliever Matt Dearden on a sacrifice bunt by Ryan Cypret put runners on first and second with nobody out. Josh Dezse lined a single to center to score Wetzel and, after a fly out to left by Mike Carroll, Hallberg bounced a single up the box to score Cypret for the 7-1 lead.
After an RBI single by Wetzel pushed the lead to 8-1 in the top of the seventh, the Hoosiers answered in a big way with six run on seven hits in the bottom of the frame. Dustin DeMuth led off the inning with a solo home run to right against Long before a pair of singles and a hit batter loaded the bases. Schwarber then chased Long while clearing the bases with a three-run double to deep left to make it an 8-5 game.
After David Fathalikhani came on to relieve Long, Schwarber scored on a fielding error by Dezse and an RBI single by Dillon Dooney plated Micah Johnson, who had walked and stole second, to cut the Ohio State lead to 8-7 after seven innings.
The Hoosiers then took the lead with three in the bottom of the eighth against Ohio State reliever Greg Greve. Sujka walked to lead off the frame and a fielding error by Hallberg on a sacrifice bunt attempt put runners on first and second with nobody out. After a sacrifice bunt by Schwarber put runners on second and third with one down, Travis doubled down the left field line to plate two for the Hoosier lead and Dooney drove home Travis with an RBI single for an insurance run to push the lead to 10-8.
Indiana reliever Jonny Hoffman hit Solomon with one down in the ninth but the Buckeyes were unable to move anything across as the Hoosiers picked up the victory.
Wetzel, Hallberg and Corna each had three hits for the Buckeyes while Dooney went 4-for-5 with two runs scored for the Hoosiers.
The Buckeyes and Hoosiers play the middle game of the three-game set at 3:05 p.m. Friday.
GAME NOTES
– Kirby Pellant has reached base safely in his last 25 games.
