Junior pitcher Hunter Shaw (26) screams during Ohio State’s (8-16, 2-7 Big Ten) 11-10 victory over No. 10 Oregon Ducks (20-7, 8-4 Big Ten) Saturday at Bill Davis Stadium. Credit: Ohio State Athletics
Ohio State entered the weekend without any wins in Big Ten play.
They left the weekend with two conference wins over a top-10 team.
Behind two wins in Saturday’s doubleheader over No. 10 Oregon, the Buckeyes secured their first Big Ten series win of the season.
Ohio State entered the eighth inning, trailing in both games. It rallied back for wins both times.
“They wanted the smoke,” head coach Justin Haire said. “They wanted the fight, and hopefully, that chip on their shoulder is something we can hold on to and make our own.”
Game One
Oregon’s pitching shined in the first game, shutting out the Buckeyes 7-0 Friday.
Ducks pitcher Grayson Grinsell gave Oregon seven scoreless innings as he allowed only three hits and a walk while striking out five.
Oregon took the lead early in the first inning, plating a run on an RBI double.
Ohio State had a chance in the bottom half with first baseman Ryan Miller and right fielder Trey Lipsey reaching on hit-by-pitches, but a popped-up bunt by shortstop Lee Ellis led to a double play and extinguished the opportunity.
The Buckeyes left eight runners on base throughout the game.
Haire pointed to the team’s lack of execution.
“We’ve got to be able to play the game that we’re capable of playing and run the offense that we’re capable of running,” Haire said.
Oregon grasped the momentum for the rest, scoring six more runs en route to a 7-0 win.
Game Two
Behind five unanswered runs and 12 hits, Ohio State took game one of the doubleheader Saturday, 11-10.
It looked like Oregon would control the game as it opened the first inning with four runs.
But the Buckeyes never wavered.
Ohio State quickly responded with a run in the bottom of the first off a sacrifice fly by second baseman Tyler Pettorini and three runs in the second, powered by a two-run homer from third baseman Maddix Simpson, to level the game at four.
The home run was Simpson’s first career blast.
But a three-run homer in the third gave the Ducks the lead right back.
The Buckeyes continued to battle as they cut the deficit to one off a fielder’s choice and an RBI single in the fourth by center fielder Reggie Bussey.
Two more Oregon homers in the fifth and seventh gave the Ducks a 10-6 lead that looked insurmountable.
But, as it had all day, Ohio State fought back.
The Buckeyes got two back in the seventh without a hit, using a series of walks and wild pitches to scamper around the bases.
Then, in the eighth, Ohio State scored one more off an error to pull within one.
The Buckeyes needed a hero, and they found one in the form of Matthew Graveline.
The Ohio State catcher flared a single into right field to plate two runs and give the Buckeyes an 11-10 lead.
“I had two strikes and, I think he threw me a slider,” Graveline said. “I just kind of poked it out to right field, and I mean it just fell. It was awesome. Two RBIs was great.”
The lead was never relinquished, as pitcher Hunter Shaw slammed the door with a perfect ninth to secure the Ohio State win.
Game Three
Behind another eighth-inning rally, the Buckeyes secured an 8-6 win in game two of the doubleheader Saturday.
The Ducks once again scored first with a solo blast in the second to take an early lead.
Ohio State responded back with three runs in the bottom half, including an RBI double from left fielder Sal Mineo and a two-run double from Simpson.
Haire expressed how pleased he was with the two freshmen.
“I’m just proud of the work that they’ve done,” Haire said. “A lot of guys are like that, and it’s awesome because those guys care about their teammates and this program, trying to move us forward, and it’s awesome when the game rewards that.”
A double from Graveline in the third extended the Buckeyes lead to 4-1.
However, a three-run homer for Oregon the next inning erased the lead and tied the game at four.
The Ducks continued to surge in the sixth, taking the lead on a Buckeye error before pitcher Blaine Wynk came on in relief for the Buckeyes and stopped the damage.
Then came the eighth.
Shortstop Lee Ellis tied the game at five on a sacrifice fly.
And one pitch later, Ohio State had the lead.
Pettorini came up to the plate and didn’t miss his opportunity. He crushed a three-run homer to put the Buckeyes out in front 8-5.
For Pettorini, the mentality going into the at-bat was simple.
“I knew I had to take a big swing, and I took a big swing,” Pettorini said.
The Ducks got one back in the ninth, but it wasn’t enough as they fell 8-6 and gave Ohio State the series win.
Wynk finished the game for the Buckeyes, tossing 3.1 innings and allowing just one run while striking out seven batters.
Haire pointed to the electricity that Wynk brought out of the bullpen to help his outing.
“That was electric stuff,” Haire said. “I’ve seen some really good arms. Man, it was as electric as stuff for three and a third innings as I’ve seen in quite a while.”
The Buckeyes (8-16, 2-7 Big Ten) are back in action Tuesday at Bill Davis Stadium at 6 p.m. against the West Virginia Mountaineers (22-4, 4-3 Big 12). Big Ten+ will stream the game.
