By BRIAN KEATTS
EAST RIVER (September 30, 2008) – Ohio State came away with a thrilling 7-6 victory this evening over the CitiStars on picturesque evening by the water. The Bucks utilized some excellent play in the field and a 7th inning rally to seal the win.
The CitiStars jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the 1st inning, which would be short-lived. With one out in the top of the 2nd inning, John McClafferty – making a guest appearance in fall ball – lined a single and advanced to third base on a double by Andrew Vanetta. Jen Harbour came through in the clutch with a two out double to drive home both runners. It was the first of three hits for Harbour on the day.
Alicia Korney delivered her second quality start, keeping the CitiStars’ bats at bay. OSU grabbed the lead in the 4th inning, when Sam Rosner lead off with a single. He scored on an RBI double by substitute Doug Wrights, who then scored on a single by McClafferty, giving Ohio State a 4-2 advantage.
Korney continued to mow down hitters, aided by some fine fielding by the likes of Nick Ponder, Annie Heck and Kevin Ma. The Buckeyes extended their lead to 6-2 in the top of the 6th inning after scoring twice more. Brian Keatts lead off the inning with a single and took third base after Rosner reached on a fielding error. Dave Busick drove home Keatts with a deep sacrifice fly. Later in the inning, Rosner scored on a sacrifice fly by McClafferty.
The CitiStars mounted their only rally in the bottom of the 6th inning, scoring 4 times to tie the game, primarily on the strength of a three run homer. However, the Buckeyes showed their metal by scraping together a run in the top of the 7th inning.
Harbour singled with one out and reached second base when the CitiStars couldn’t field a Ma grounder. After a fielder’s choice by Heck left runners on first and second with two outs, Jackie Sunderland hit a hot shot that the CitiStars couldn’t handle, allowing an alert Ma to sprint home from second base. Ohio State assumed a 7-6 lead.
The Buckeyes made the lead stand up in the bottom half of the frame with some stellar defense. They got the leadoff hitter when Keatts made a diving stab at shortstop and threw out the runner from his knees. Harbour made the next put out at second base and Vanetta battled the twilight to snag the final out in right center.
Ohio State (1-1) looks to capitalize on their momentum when they take on The Stumble Inn next week at Colonel Charles Young playground.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Buckeyes Claim Scarlet Jerseys with 17-4 Thrashing
By BRIAN KEATTS
FREDERICK DOUGLASS FIELD (June 30, 2008) – For the first time in history, two Ohio State squads squared off against one another on the softball diamond, resulting in a resounding victory for the veteran team. The Bucks put a 17-4 hurting on the younger, upstart alumni team, with action halting after 6 innings via the mercy rule.
FREDERICK DOUGLASS FIELD (June 30, 2008) – For the first time in history, two Ohio State squads squared off against one another on the softball diamond, resulting in a resounding victory for the veteran team. The Bucks put a 17-4 hurting on the younger, upstart alumni team, with action halting after 6 innings via the mercy rule.
Ohio State jumped on top early and never looked back. Brian Keatts singled with one out in the top of the 1st inning and moved to third base on a double by Lee Abramowitz. Sam Rosner drove home the game’s first run with a sacrifice fly. Dave Busick came through with a two out, RBI double to extend the Buckeye lead to 2-0. That lead was cut in half after 1 inning of play, but the opposition would never get closer
OSU broke open the game with a 9 run 2nd inning. John McClafferty led things off with a double and advanced on a Claire McClafferty single. Jackie Sunderland hit a sharp grounder that proved too hot to handle, allowing the first run to score. Nick Ponder reached base, as did Keatts after drawing a base on balls. Abramowitz drove home two runs with a double. Rosner and Busick also successfully reached base, preceding Danny Muskat’s double to the gap, which drove home two more runs. Kevin Sheen followed with a double of his own, plating two more runs and giving Ohio State an 11-1 advantage.
Holding an 11-3 lead, the Buckeyes added a run in the top of the 5th inning. Sheen doubled with one out and came home on an RBI single by John McClafferty. Up 12-4, the Buckeyes put the game away in the 6th inning. Sunderland started the rally with a one out single. With two down, Keatts and Abramowitz hit back to back singles, loading the bases for Rosner, who came through with a two run single. Busick drove home two more runs with another single. The scoring was completed with Muskat smacked a run scoring triple.
The Buckeyes, who flashed some fine leather on the evening, including throwing out a runner at 3rd base, and at home (though the ump saw it otherwise), and behind strong play and hustle by Kevin Ma and Alicia Korney, sent the baby Buckeyes home with a 1-2-3 6th inning. Ohio State now stands at 8-3 on the season and is in prime position for a high playoff seed. They will play their season finale on July 7th at 5:30 p.m., right back here against Mimi’s.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Buckeyes Bomb Time Bandits 23-9
By BRIAN KEATTS QUEENSBORO OVAL (June 25, 2008) - Ohio State broke out the big bats in their nostalgic return to the Queensboro Oval clay field beneath the 59th Street Bridge this evening. They erupted for a 23-9 win over the Time Bandits (6-3) via a 5th inning mercy rule decision. Returning to "The Oval" for the first time since picking up a playoff win during their 2003 championship season, Ohio State came up big in a game with significant playoff implications. Ohio State started the game in style with a lead off home run by Kevin Sheen. Brian Keatts followed with a bloop double and scored when Nick Ponder belted a double. The Buckeye lead was short lived, as the Time Bandits took a 3-2 lead after one inning. The Bucks tied the game in the 2nd inning when Sam Rosner blasted a triple and scored on a single by Kevin Ma. However, the Time Bandits scratched out a run in their half of the frame to take a 4-3 lead. Ohio State assumed control of the game with a 12 run 3rd inning. Sheen led off with a single and scored on a triple by Keatts. Ponder followed with an RBI double and scored on a double by John McClafferty. After Rick Muskat singled, Jackie Sunderland drove in a run with a ground ball. Rosner and Jay Banarjee took advantage of fielding miscues to reach base. With two outs, the Bucks poured it on. Ma and Lisa Imel hit back to back singles. Sheen and Keatts followed with singles of their own, and Ponder cleared the bases with a grand slam, giving OSU a 15-4 lead. After shutting out the Time Bandits, the Buckeyes went right back to work in the 4th inning. Sunderland led off with a single and advanced to third base on a double by Rosner. Jay hit an RBI single, as did Ma. With one out, Lisa reached base and was advanced by a Sheen single. Keatts then launched a three run homer, hitting for the cycle in the process. The Buckeyes tacked on another run after another double by Ponder to take a staggering 22-4 lead. Grace Sacro helped maintain the lead by playing a flawless right field while also drawing a walk at the plate. Ohio State made it 23-4 after adding a run in the 5th inning, and then allowed a few meaningless runs in the bottom half of the inning before closing out their opposition via the mercy rule. Ohio State stands at 7-3 with two games remaining in the regular season. They square off against the other OSU alumni team on June 30th, looking to add to their four game winning streak and continue their march to the playoffs.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Buckeyes Win 11-10 Thriller
By BRIAN KEATTS
MORNINGSIDE (June 13, 2008) - Down five runs late in the game and with nightfall quickly approaching, THE Ohio State Buckeyes mounted a furious comeback and registered a season-changing victory. With the 11-10 win over RKT Trial & Errors, Ohio State moves to 4-3, and finds itself in the thick of the playoff race.
Ohio State took an early lead in top of the 1st inning. With one out, Brian Keatts singled and scored when Sam Rosner belted a triple. Dave Busick followed with a 2-run blast, giving OSU a 3-0 lead. After RKT scored a run in the 1st inning, the Buckeyes added to their lead in the 2nd inning. Annie Heck stroked a single, and came home when Kevin Sheen launched a home run to left center field, extending the Ohio State lead to 5-1.
RKT trimmed the deficit to one run after three innings, and took a 10-5 lead after a 6 run 4th inning. RKT tried to add to their lead in the 5th inning, when their lead off batter hit a shot to right center. Clearly underestimating the fielding capabilities of these Buckeyes, the runner tried to turn a triple into a home run, but was gunned down at home on a relay throw from Busick to Claire McClafferty, who made a tremendous catch and tag out of the runner. That seemed to spark the Buckeye squad and trigger a change in momentum.
Ohio State came to bat in the top of the 6th inning still trailing by five, but that was about to change. Sheen led off the inning with a triple, and scored on a single by Kevin Ma. Grace Sacro single to put runners on the corners, and Ma scored on a fielder's choice by Nick Ponder. Keatts then smacked a two run homer to right field, bringing the Bucks to within a run at 10-9.
The Buckeye defense continued to sparkle in the latter innings. John McClafferty and Mike Green roamed the outfield with great success, allowing Ohio State to head into the final inning down a single run. Busick led off the 7th inning with a single, and scored when Lee Abramowitz launched a clutch triple to tie the game. Danny Muskat drove home the go-ahead run with a deep sacrifice fly, and once again, Ohio State held the lead.
RKT had the heart of the order up in the bottom of the 7th inning, trailing 11-0. However, Ohio State came up big. Jackie Sunderland snagged a sharp one hopper at second base, allowing the Buckeyes to control the inning and close out their opponent for an 11-10 win. Ohio State looks to keep the momentum going next week, as they play twice (including a rain date make up) in the span of three days.
MORNINGSIDE (June 13, 2008) - Down five runs late in the game and with nightfall quickly approaching, THE Ohio State Buckeyes mounted a furious comeback and registered a season-changing victory. With the 11-10 win over RKT Trial & Errors, Ohio State moves to 4-3, and finds itself in the thick of the playoff race.Ohio State took an early lead in top of the 1st inning. With one out, Brian Keatts singled and scored when Sam Rosner belted a triple. Dave Busick followed with a 2-run blast, giving OSU a 3-0 lead. After RKT scored a run in the 1st inning, the Buckeyes added to their lead in the 2nd inning. Annie Heck stroked a single, and came home when Kevin Sheen launched a home run to left center field, extending the Ohio State lead to 5-1.
RKT trimmed the deficit to one run after three innings, and took a 10-5 lead after a 6 run 4th inning. RKT tried to add to their lead in the 5th inning, when their lead off batter hit a shot to right center. Clearly underestimating the fielding capabilities of these Buckeyes, the runner tried to turn a triple into a home run, but was gunned down at home on a relay throw from Busick to Claire McClafferty, who made a tremendous catch and tag out of the runner. That seemed to spark the Buckeye squad and trigger a change in momentum.
Ohio State came to bat in the top of the 6th inning still trailing by five, but that was about to change. Sheen led off the inning with a triple, and scored on a single by Kevin Ma. Grace Sacro single to put runners on the corners, and Ma scored on a fielder's choice by Nick Ponder. Keatts then smacked a two run homer to right field, bringing the Bucks to within a run at 10-9.
The Buckeye defense continued to sparkle in the latter innings. John McClafferty and Mike Green roamed the outfield with great success, allowing Ohio State to head into the final inning down a single run. Busick led off the 7th inning with a single, and scored when Lee Abramowitz launched a clutch triple to tie the game. Danny Muskat drove home the go-ahead run with a deep sacrifice fly, and once again, Ohio State held the lead.
RKT had the heart of the order up in the bottom of the 7th inning, trailing 11-0. However, Ohio State came up big. Jackie Sunderland snagged a sharp one hopper at second base, allowing the Buckeyes to control the inning and close out their opponent for an 11-10 win. Ohio State looks to keep the momentum going next week, as they play twice (including a rain date make up) in the span of three days.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Buckeyes Bats Gone Mad; Rout Mad Fishers 18-7
By KEVIN MA
MORNINGSIDE (May 8, 2008) -- Despite missing most of the regulars in this early game at Morningside, the Buckeyes made another impressive outing today as they mercifully beat Mad Fishers 18-7 in just 3 innings. More impressively, the Buckeyes batted around in the 2nd inning and scored 15 runs as they improved their season record to 3-0.
With an erratic starter, Mad Fishers had to switch their pitcher after giving leadoff hitter Kevin Ma a 3-0 count, and the second pitcher eventually walked him to lead off the inning. After Alicia Korney reached base, Nick Ponder launched a deep fly to left for a triple to drive in Ma and Korney. John McClafferty then drove in Ponder with a sacrifice fly to put the third run on the board.
The play of the game came early as Claire McClafferty stretched a single to a double with a headfirst slide -- Jose Reyes style. In this case, it was a Buckeye dive into second base for a 2B. Impressive.
Mad Fishers came back with 6 runs in the top of to the second to retake the lead, but not for long. The Buckeyes answered with 15 runs in the bottom of the frame to dispose the Fishers. Lee Abramowitz started off with a single, and the Bucks loaded the bases after back-to-back walks to Jackie Sunderland and Grace Sacro -- who made her season debut in 2008. Mad Fishers then walked Ma to drive in Abramowitz. With the bases still loaded, Korney cleared the bases with a double to drive in Ma, Sunderland and Sacro. Ponder then launched a bomb over the terrace to Manhattan Avenue to put the Bucks 3 runs ahead.
The hit parade didn’t stop there. John McClafferty laced a double to start off another wave of hits in the 2nd inning, and Rick Muskat drove John home with his first triple of the year. Muskat then scored after Claire McClafferty reached base. After Annie Heck reached base, Abramowitz hit a single to reload the bases as the hitting massacre continued.
Sunderland collected 2 RBIs with a single to drive in Claire and Heck. After a walk to Sacro, Ma hit a RBI single to drive in Abramowitz. Still no outs in the inning, Korney hit into a fielder’s choice to drive in Sunderland for her fourth RBI in the game.
Ponder continued his hot bat as he hit a RBI double to drive in Ma. With Korney on third, John McClafferty hit another sacrifice fly to drive her in. Another RBI single by Muskat drove Ponder in to complete a historic inning for the Bucks.
Mad Fishers scored a meaningless run at the top of the third, but the solid defense by the Bucks proved to be too much. With 11 runs ahead, the game was called in the middle of the third.
Stay tuned, as the undefeated Buckeyes will return to the field to play against Asbury Auto at Riverside Park on Monday, May 12th. Game time 6:00 p.m.
Friday, May 2, 2008
OSU Deposits a 14-2 Loss on the U.S. Bank Five Stars
By BRIAN KEATTS
RIVERSIDE PARK (May 1, 2008) - Ohio State (2-0) put on a dominating performance this evening en route to a 14-2 victory over the U.S. Bank Five Stars (1-2). Talk about your banker’s hours, this one was stopped after 5 innings due to the mercy rule.
The Buckeyes made a 1 run donation to the Bank in the top of the 1st inning, but quickly erased the deficit in their half of the frame. Danny Muskat led off with a single and scored on a two run homer by Brian Keatts. Nick Ponder made it back-to-back jacks for the Bucks with a soaring homer over the left field wall. Mike Green singled and moved to second on a one out single by Alicia Korney. John McClafferty cleared the bases with a long home run, giving the Buckeyes a 6-1 lead. Annie Heck and Kevin Ma kept the rally going with back-to-back singles. Then the super-subs took over. Chrissy Korney (of the famously athletic Korney sisters) stroked a single, followed by wily veteran Cindy Bubniak driving home OSU’s 7th run of the inning.
Solid pitching by ace Rick Muskat and some sparkling defense held the Bank to one run over the next 4 innings. Alicia Korney played brilliantly in her first outing at the hot corner, as did Heck holding down second base.
Ohio State picked up where they left off when they came to bat in the 2nd inning. Ponder and Green hit one out singles, with Rick Muskat driving home the inning’s first run with a single of his own. Alicia Korney and McClafferty followed with RBI singles to increase the Buckeye lead to 10-1. With two outs, Ma doubled home a run. Chrissy Korney completed the scoring with her second hit of the game, driving home the Bucks 13th run.
The Buckeyes tacked on their final run in the bottom of the 4th inning, which gave them the necessary margin for a mercy rule victory. Alicia Korney started the inning by lacing a double down the left field line. She scored moments later when McClafferty smacked a double into the gap in left center.
With the win, the Buckeyes improved to 2-0. They will look to continue their hot hitting when they take on the Mad Fishers in Morningside Park next week.
RIVERSIDE PARK (May 1, 2008) - Ohio State (2-0) put on a dominating performance this evening en route to a 14-2 victory over the U.S. Bank Five Stars (1-2). Talk about your banker’s hours, this one was stopped after 5 innings due to the mercy rule.
The Buckeyes made a 1 run donation to the Bank in the top of the 1st inning, but quickly erased the deficit in their half of the frame. Danny Muskat led off with a single and scored on a two run homer by Brian Keatts. Nick Ponder made it back-to-back jacks for the Bucks with a soaring homer over the left field wall. Mike Green singled and moved to second on a one out single by Alicia Korney. John McClafferty cleared the bases with a long home run, giving the Buckeyes a 6-1 lead. Annie Heck and Kevin Ma kept the rally going with back-to-back singles. Then the super-subs took over. Chrissy Korney (of the famously athletic Korney sisters) stroked a single, followed by wily veteran Cindy Bubniak driving home OSU’s 7th run of the inning.
Solid pitching by ace Rick Muskat and some sparkling defense held the Bank to one run over the next 4 innings. Alicia Korney played brilliantly in her first outing at the hot corner, as did Heck holding down second base.
Ohio State picked up where they left off when they came to bat in the 2nd inning. Ponder and Green hit one out singles, with Rick Muskat driving home the inning’s first run with a single of his own. Alicia Korney and McClafferty followed with RBI singles to increase the Buckeye lead to 10-1. With two outs, Ma doubled home a run. Chrissy Korney completed the scoring with her second hit of the game, driving home the Bucks 13th run.
The Buckeyes tacked on their final run in the bottom of the 4th inning, which gave them the necessary margin for a mercy rule victory. Alicia Korney started the inning by lacing a double down the left field line. She scored moments later when McClafferty smacked a double into the gap in left center.
With the win, the Buckeyes improved to 2-0. They will look to continue their hot hitting when they take on the Mad Fishers in Morningside Park next week.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Buckeyes Storm Back to Quiet the Hurricanes
By BRIAN KEATTS
MORNINGSIDE PARK (April 22, 2008) - The Buckeyes put on quite a show in their season opener this evening, erasing an early five run deficit to defeat the Mighty Hurricanes 12-10. OSU's veteran presence combined with an infusion of new talent looked like it could be a force to be reckoned with in 2008.
Ohio State showed some rust in the field in the top of the 1st inning, allowing the Hurricanes to jump ahead 4-0. OSU got three of those runs back in the bottom half of the frame. With 2 outs and Lee Abramowitz on second base, Dave Busick smacked an RBI single. Sam Rosner followed with a 2 run blast, bringing the Buckeyes to within a run.
It took another couple of innings for the Bucks to completely shake off the rust. Heading into the bottom of the 3rd inning, OSU found themselves trailing by a score of 8-3. Kevin Ma started off the 3rd inning with a single, and scored with two outs when Nick Ponder stroked a triple. Brian Keatts drove home Ponder with a single, making the score 8-5.
Rick Muskat and Claire McClafferty found the zone after that. The pitcher/catcher duo shut out the Hurricanes over the next three innings. They were aided by some fine fielding by the likes of John McClafferty, Mike Green and a new slick-fielding second baseman, Annie Heck.
The Bucks chipped away at the lead in the 4th inning when Alicia Korney hit a screaming double down the left field line to score Rosner. The Bucks inflicted the bulk of the damage in the bottom half of the 6th inning, when they turned a 2 run deficit into a 4 run lead. Ma and Jackie Sunderland lead off the 6th with back to back singles. With 1 out, Ponder hit an RBI double. Keatts cleared the bases with a double of his own, giving Ohio State a 9-8 lead. Abramowitz and Busick followed with RBI singles. The scoring was completed when Danny Muskat lifted a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Busick and staking Ohio State to a 12-8 lead.
Though the Hurricanes managed to score twice in the top of the 7th inning, the Bucks eventually slammed the door shut to claim an exciting 12-10 win. It was a great start to a long season. Ohio State returns to the field on May 1st when they take on the U.S. Bank Five Stars.
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