MILLINGTON, Tenn. (2/22/08) - The Arkansas State baseball team gave Ohio State a run for its money but a big seventh inning by the Buckeyes put the game away, giving Ohio State a 7-3 victory in the season opener at the 2008 Service Academies Spring Classic.
“There were so many opportunities today and I'm really disappointed that we didn't win the ballgame,” Arkansas State Head Coach Keith Kessinger said. “We just did some good things, but we also did some things that allowed Ohio State to win the game.”
Kessinger praised the efforts of his young team and junior starter Chase Ware.
“Chase did a great job out there for us today. Our young guys handled the situation really well. I thought Todd Baumgartner did a great job, coming right out with that big hit in the first inning,” Kessinger said.
The Tribe was able to get on the board first when junior Derrick Coleman led off the bottom of the first with a single up the middle. Coleman came around to score when true freshman Todd Baumgartner launched a double to rightfield.
Ohio State struck twice in the top of the second. Ryan Meade singled to center and scored on Cory Rupert's groundout to second. Dan Burkhart put the Buckeyes up by two on Brian DeLucia's hard double down the third baseline. Junior pitcher Chase Ware got the Tribe out of the inning, taking down Cory Kovanda on three strikes.
Ohio State took a 3-1 advantage in the top of the third when Ryan Dew hit a hard single to right field, scoring J.B. Shuck, who led off the inning with a deep double to center.
Arkansas State struggled to get their bats going after the first inning and the Buckeyes took advantage, tacking on two more hits in the top of the fourth. Ohio State's run was ended abruptly when senior rightfielder Aaron Ferguson threw out DeLucia at home to end the inning.
The Indians chipped away at the Buckeyes' lead in the bottom of the fifth when Baumgartner nabbed his second RBI of the game with a single to right, scoring Ferguson, who singled to lead off the inning.
The Tribe added one more run in the bottom of the sixth, thanks in part to three Buckeye errors. Drew Benes, Lawson Hipps and Ferguson all reached on errors, with Benes coming around on DeLucia's second error of the inning to tie the score at three.
Junior Jett Jones took the mound in the top of the seventh in relief of starter Chase Ware, who gave up just three runs on seven hits with eight strikeouts. Jones struggled, giving up four hits and three runs before being replaced by sophomore Jordan Kimball. Ferguson, again, stopped the Buckeye momentum when he threw out Justin Miller at home.
The Buckeyes took a 7-3 lead in the top of the eighth when DeLucia rocketed a solo home run over the left-center wall.
Arkansas State loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the eighth but could not take advantage, stranding all three runners after Ohio State's Eric Best retired the next three batters.
Despite two walks, junior closer Nick Lambert was able to finish things off on the mound for the Indians, giving up no hits and no runs in the top of the ninth.
Best finished off the Tribe in the bottom of the ninth, giving up just a walk to Brandon Eller.
Baumgartner went 2-for-5 at the plate with two RBIs for the day. Coleman, Murray Watts and Ferguson also added two hits for the Tribe.
DeLucia went 4-for-4 for Ohio State with two RBIs and a home run.
Dean Wolosiansky got the win for the Buckeyes and Best nabbing the save. Jones took the loss on the mound for the Tribe.
Arkansas State returns to action tomorrow against Seton Hall. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.
