Buckeyes Win Thriller to Advance to Title Game

By BRIAN KEATTS

HARLEM (November 26, 2012) - There are good wins, and then there are those rare, foundation-building great wins that are remembered throughout the years.  Over the past dozen years, the Ohio State Buckeyes have been fortunate enough to rack up some great wins.  This evening, they got another one.  Trailing a very strong McGladrey team 8-0 after an inning and a half, these Buckeyes showed their mettle and battled back for an 11-10 victory, propelling them into the title game.

As the Buckeyes came to bat in the bottom of the 2nd inning, they found themselves in an 8-0 hole - McGladrey having pounded the ball the first 2 innings.  The momentum was about to change.  Jimmy Klingensmith led off the inning with a double, scoring when DJ Tom Antoniello stroked an RBI single.  Brian Keatts followed with a double down the left field line, putting runners on 2nd and 3rd.  Tom O'Leary smacked a single to score both runners, cutting the deficit to 8-3.

It was at this point that OSU dug in its heels and started flashing the good leather.  Kevin Ma and Jessica Brown patrolled the outfield, while Vivianna Dinucci held down the catching duties, calling a good game behind the plate.  Soon, the Buckeyes were back at bat, creeping closer.

With 1 out in the bottom of the 3rd inning, Andrew Vannata used his keen eye to draw a walk.  Juton Horstman followed with a single.  With 2 out, Jon Graham came through with a huge three-run homer to bring OSU within 2 runs at 8-6.

Ohio State continued chipping away in the 4th inning.  Keatts reached second base on a fielding error to lead things off.  With one out, JT Ferrera lined a single to score Keatts.  With two outs and 2 on, Andrew Singer came through with a run scoring single.  OSU had come all the way back to tie the game at 8.

With the momentum firmly on their side, The Buckeyes took the lead in the 5th inning.  Horstman singled to start things off and moved to second when Carly Klingensmith crushed a single.  After a fielder's choice, Jimmy Klingensmith stroked an RBI single.  Antoniello then lined a single, scoring two more and giving OSU an 11-8 advantage.

McGladrey scored twice in the top of the 6th inning to draw within a run, making for a suspense-filled 7th inning.  OSU held strong in the field and shut out McGladrey, putting the finishing touches on a dramatic 11-10 victory.  Ohio State now plays in the Championship Game on November 29th against a Cooper team that has been dispatching its opponents with ease in the post season.

OSU Quiets Chaos to Reach Final Four

By BRIAN KEATTS

HARLEM (November 19, 2012) - The top seeded Ohio State Buckeyes (7-1) played like it this evening in their first trip to Harlem's 128th Street Field, as they displayed solid fielding and timely hitting in dispatching 8th seeded Chaos by a score of 9-3 in the opening round of the playoffs.  With the win, the Buckeyes advance to the Final Four against #5 seed McGladrey.

After a quiet 1st inning, the Buckeyes got on the board in the 2nd.  Brian Keatts led off the inning with a triple to deep right centerfield.  Tom O'Leary followed with a double to give OSU a lead they would never relinquish.  With two outs, Jessica Brown singled and OSU held a 2-0 lead heading into the 3rd inning.

Kevin Ma started off the bottom of the 3rd with a single.  The Bucks then scored three more times.  Carly Klingensmith hit a one out single to put runners at first and second. Jon Graham reached on a fielder's choice, leaving the Bucks with 2 on and 2 out.  Jimmy Klingensmith came through with a clutch, 2-RBI double, followed by an RBI single by Tom Antoniello to give Ohio State a 5-0 advantage.

The Buckeyes continued to keep Chaos in check with an excellent fielding performance.  Andrew Vannata patrolled the outfield as part of the 13 player rotation the Buckeyes successfully employed on the diamond.  Meanwhile, the OSU offense continued to tack on runs.  O'Leary led off the 4th with a single, and scored when Viviana Dinucci laced a two-out hit that landed her at third base.  Ohio State scored again in the 5th when Juton Horstman's triple (a shot to left field) was backed up by a sacrifice from Carly Klingensmith.

In the top of the 6th, Chaos finally broke through for 2 runs to close within 7-2.  However, the Buckeyes quickly regained the momentum by re-assuming their lead and scoring twice more in the bottom half of the frame (OSU scored in all but the 1st inning).  Jimmy K started things with a double and held his ground when Antoniello singled.  Keatts followed with a single to load the bases.  O'Leary followed with a sacrifice to score a run.  Pam Swidler completed the scoring with a single, giving Ohio State a 9-2 lead.

Chaos scored a meaningless run in the top of the 7th before OSU slammed the door shut on an impressive 9-3 victory.  The Buckeyes advance to the Final Four, to be held on November 26^th at Harlem’s 128^th Street Field.  A Final Four appearance is nice, but these Buckeyes have their sights set on the big prize.

Buckeyes Give Wedding Crashers the Boot, 18-0

By BRIAN KEATTS

HARLEM (October 16, 2012) - Making their lone appearance in Harlem for the season, the Buckeyes gave the locals something to remember.  OSU put forth their most dominating performance of the season, eliminating the Wedding Crashers 18-0 in a game ended by the mercy rule after 5 innings.  In that span, the Buckeyes amassed 16 hits, with 9 of their 11 batters scoring at least once.

Juton Horstman started the game with a home run, providing the only run OSU would need.  Jimmy Klingensmith doubled with one out and scored on a single by Jon Graham.  Brian Keatts and Tom O'Leary followed with a single and double, respectively.  Andy Singer then stroked a single to drive in two more and complete the scoring for the inning at 5-0. 

Kevin Ma led off the 2nd inning with a single and scored when Horstman hit his second home run.  Pam Swidler followed with a walk.  Klingensmith and Keatts then peppered the third baseman with grounders that he could not handle.  A sacrifice by O'Leary drove home the 4th and final run of the inning, giving Ohio State a 9-0 advantage.

The Buckeyes put another five spot on the board in the 3rd inning.  Linda Vannata, making a rare substitute appearance, reached on an error.  She advanced to third on a fielder's choice by Horstman.  Swidler reached on an error, scoring Linda.  Klingensmith then tripled to clear the bases, which was followed by a run scoring triple by Graham and a run scoring double by Keatts, staking Ohio State to a 14-0 lead.

OSU took it easy on their hapless opponent and only scored once in the 4th inning.  That occurred when Viviana Dinnuci reached on a fielder's choice, advanced to 3rd on a double by Andrew Vannata, and scored on a fielder's choice by Linda.

By this point, the umpire had seen enough and tried to end the game after 4 innings.  However, law and order prevailed, and the umpire relented and allowed the game to move forward to the 5th inning, per rule.  The Buckeyes took the opportunity to score three more times. After a Klingensmith fielder's choice and a double by Graham put runners on 2nd and 3rd with two outs, Keatts hit a home run[1] down the left field line.  The Buckeye defense made the 18-0 lead stand up in the bottom half of the frame, securing the shutout performance by O'Leary on the mound.

The win keeps Ohio State in first place at 6-0 with one game to go.  The Buckeyes return to the field on October 26^th in their continued quest for a perfect season.

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[1] Yes, that was a home run.

Buckeyes Cruise to 5-0 with a 14-5 Thumping of HNTB

By BRIAN KEATTS

QUEENSBRIDGE PARK (October 12, 2012) - On a blustery and chilly evening on the banks of the East River the Ohio State Buckeyes jumped all over HNTB early en route to a 14-5 victory.  The win keeps OSU perfect on the season, with two games to go.

With 1 out in the top of the 1st inning Pam Swidler used her keen eye to draw a walk.  Brian Keatts followed with a single and Jimmy Klingensmith drove in the game's first run with a single of his own.  After HNTB failed to successfully field a ground ball off the bat of Andrew Singer, Tom O'Leary drove home two runs with a triple in the gap.  Jessica Brown, who sprayed the ball all over the field, only to find HNTB gloves at the waiting, reached on an error.  After Kevin Ma singled to load the bases, Viviana Dinucci hit a bases loaded single to drive in the inning's final run and give OSU a 6-0 lead.

Ohio State continued the assault in the 2nd inning.  A single by Juton Horstman and a well placed grounder by Swidler put 2 ducks on the pond.  Horstman came home on an RBI single by Keatts.  With 2 outs, DJ Tommy Antoniello singled to load the bases.  Singer then unloaded them with a triple, giving the Bucks a 10- advantage after an inning and a half.

The Buckeyes tacked on another run in the 4th when Andrew Vannata led off the inning with a single and came around to score on a 2 out single by Klingensmith.  HNTB broke through for a run in the 4th inning, but OSU got the run back in the 5th.  Singer singled to start the inning and scored on a 2 out single by Kevin Ma, which HNTB promptly threw all over the field after tracking it down.  The score stood at 12-1 when, apparently, the cold weather began icing the Buckeye gloves, leading to a series of errors that allowed HNTB to close to 12-5 after 5 innings.  It should be noted that Jonathan Keller, who played on 1 leg while collecting a hit, was not among the culprits.

Ohio State completed the scoring at 14-5 after scoring twice more in the 7th behind singles by Klingensmith, Antoniello, Singer and Dinnuci.  Ohio State looks to remain unbeaten when they travel to Harlem for the first time this year to take on the Wedding Crashers on October 16^th. 

OSU Dominant in 10-0 Shutout Over ViTech

By BRIAN KEATTS

QUEENSBRIDGE PARK (October 1, 2012) - Ohio State had its most complete performance of the season this evening, combining double digit hits and runs while allowing only 2 singles to the opposition in a 10-0 victory.  The win moves the Buckeyes to 3-0 on the season.

The Buckeyes left no doubt who would emerge as the victor after exploding for 7 runs in the first inning.  Jon Graham led off the inning with a double and scored on a one out triple by Brian Keatts (who tossed 6 innings of 2 hit ball backed by stellar defense).  Jimmy Klingensmith followed with an RBI single and advanced to third on a single by JT Ferrara (who fell a double short of hitting for the cycle).  A Juton Horstman double plated two more.  Back-to-back walks by Jonathan Keller and Viviana Dinnuci loaded the bases.  Andrew Vannata came through with a run-scoring single.  Kevin Ma drove in the final run of the inning with a ground ball. 

After making quick work of the Tech team in the top of the 2nd inning, OSU went back to work.  Keatts reached second base when a Techie lost a fly ball in the Queens sky, and scored when Ferrara connected for a two-run home run, extending the OSU lead to 9-0.  The Buckeye defense continued to shine, with Andy Singer making his Buckeye debut and flashing the good leather at third base and shortstop.  Pam "The Law" Swidler made several put outs at second base while also going 1-3 at the plate.  Last minute sub Linda Vannata held down right field while also drawing a walk.  ViTech didn't record their first hit until the 5th inning.

Ohio State completed the scoring in the 5th inning when Ferrara laced a triple and came home to score when the throw from the outfield to third narrowly missed his head and sailed into the stands, allowing him to advance home.  All in all it was another great effort from the Scarlet and Gray, who return to the field on October 5th to take on STV.

Buckeyes Come Up Big In Season Opener

By BRIAN KEATTS

CENTRAL PARK (September 10, 2012) - Ohio State looked to be in mid-season form on this beautiful evening in Central Park as they kicked off the fall campaign with an exciting 6-5 victory over a talented KDW Bombers squad.  Solid defense and timely hitting were the keys behind another late inning rally from OSU.

Employing a short-fielder in place of their usual four outfielder alignment paid dividends right away for the Buckeyes, as the new defense prevented many would-be singles and helped keep those who did reach base at bay.  This tactic, combined with a strong pitching effort from Jessica Brown, who gutted it out on the mound despite an injured ankle, and excellent fielding by Jonathan Keller at first base allowed the Bucks to hold the Bombers scoreless for the first three innings.

Ohio State broke through in the bottom half of the 3rd, in a big way.  With Dafne-The-Supersub on base and two outs, Jon Graham crushed a two-run homer to give Ohio State a 2-0 advantage.  The Bombers cut the lead to 2-1 in the 4th, but it could have been worse had Tom Antoniello not gunned down a runner at home after a single to left field.  A momentary lapse in the field allowed the Bombers to take a 4-2 lead heading into the bottom of the 6th inning.  With darkness approaching, the Buckeyes offered a spark.

Kevin Ma reached base to start the inning and took third on a single by Graham.  Carly Klingensmith followed with her third hit of the game, an RBI single to cut the deficit to 4-3.  Brian Keatts tied the game with a line drive single that plated Graham.  Some lucky fielding by the Bomber's third basemen allowed the opponents to turn a double play on a sharp grounder by Jimmy Klingensmith.  With the game tied, the Bucks came through with some clutch 2-out hitting.  Antoniello place a single on the right field line to put runners on the corners.  J.T. Ferrara broke the tie with a key single, allowing OSU to re-take the lead.  Andrew Vannata followed with a solid RBI single of his own, giving Ohio State a 6-4 advantage heading into the last inning.

The Bombers managed a run in the 7th before Ohio State slammed the door on a 6-5 victory.  It was a fine way to start what looks to be a promising fall season.

Buckeyes Quell British Invasion for 7-6 Season Finale Win

By BRIAN KEATTS

QUEENSBORO OVAL (July 31, 2012) - Returning to the clay field under the 59^th Street Bridge (the site of some of the Buckeyes’ bigger playoff wins in years past) for the first time in several seasons, Ohio State closed out the regular season with a 7-6 victory over the British Consulate to end the year at 6-5.  The victory keeps the team’s playoff hopes alive as they await the conclusion of regular season play.

Jonathan Graham started things off for the Buckeyes with, what some would call, a majestic home run over the left centerfield fence, staking OSU to a 1-0 lead.  Over the next three innings the Consulate managed to put together 4 runs to claim a 4-1 lead heading into the top of the 4^th inning.  The Buckeyes then began chipping away, with a single by Tom Antoniello followed by a JT Ferrara double.  Jessica Brown came up with a big double down the line to score Antoniello, with Ferrara meeting an untimely fate at home plate.

The score remained 4-2 heading in the top of the 5^th inning.  Pam Swidler, making her second appearance of the season, started the inning with a sharp single.  With one out, Viviana Dinucci reached on a fielder’s choice and then turned on the jets to reach home when Graham smacked a two out triple.  Carly Klingensmith picked up Graham with an RBI single, knotting the game at four apiece.

The Buckeye rally continued in the top of the 6^th inning.  Anoniello and Ferrara lead off with another single/double combo.  Brown followed with her second RBI of the game, scoring Antoniello on a sacrifice fly.  Andrew Vanneta then hit a run-scoring double, with Swidler capping the scoring with an RBI single.  At the end of the frame, the Buckeyes held a 7-4 advantage.  

Though the Buckeyes played relatively strong defense throughout the evening, with Brian Keatts returning from a two month absence to make several put outs at shortstop and Kevin Ma shuffling between right field and catcher, the Brits managed to scratch out a run in the 6^th inning, and another in the 7^th inning before OSU slammed the door on a 7-6 victory.  Ohio State ends the season with a winning record of 6-5, and gathers momentum heading into the fall campaign.

NO Mercy! Buckeyes Burn Wedding Crashers

By KEVIN MA

EAST RIVER (July 2, 2012) – Without team captain Brian Keatts, who was still on loan with the Phillies, the Ohio State Buckeyes won a seesaw battle and beat the Wedding Crashers 10-9 in one of the slowest game ever on this hot summer evening at East River. It was so slow the team from a latter game had to open their 24-pack and enjoyed this show from the sideline.

 

A few lucky hits from the Wedding Crashers saw the Buckeyes down 5-0 in the bottom half of the 1^st inning. Though, the Scarlet and Gray struck back quickly. Jon Graham led off the 1^st inning with a triple, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Tom Antoniello. After back-to-back singles from Evan Binder and JT Ferrara, Andrew Vanatta laced a line drive to the left field and the ball skipped past Crashers’ leftfielder for an inside-the-park home run, scoring Binder and Ferrara.

 

The Buckeyes took the lead in the 2^nd inning after back-to-back walks from Carly Klingensmith and Kevin Ma, followed by a homer from Graham to make it a 7-5. However, the Crashers scored 3 runs in the top of the 3^rd inning to take the lead again, but that was not going to last long.

 

Jessica Brown got on base after a fielder’s choice, and the Bucks loaded the bases after a single by Ethan Linen and a walk from [Brother] Jimmy Klingensmith. [Sister] Carly hit a single and scored Brown to tie the game, and with the bases remained loaded, Ma took a walk as Linen scored to make it 9-8.

The Crashers re-tied the game with a run in the top of the 4^th inning, but the Bucks quickly answered with a run to re-take the lead. Graham led off the inning with a single, and moved to second after a single by Pam Swidler. Graham and Swidler moved to second and third after a fly out by Antoniello, and a Binder walk which loaded the bases again. Ferrara hit a sacrifice fly to right center field as Graham scored and the Buckeyes took the lead for good.

 

With a strong defensive effort from Jeanne Domurat behind the plate, the Buckeyes held the Wedding Crashers scoreless the last two innings and they took the nail bitter 10-9.

The Buckeyes will enjoy a two-week break and they will return to the field on July 16^th at 7:15pm as they take on Mamiye in Central Park’s North Meadow.

Buckeyes Lay Down the Lawsox

By BRIAN KEATTS

EAST RIVER (May 14, 2012) - The Buckeyes overcame a 3 run deficit to earn a 6-5 victory over the previously unbeaten Lawsox on the banks of the East River this evening.  After yet another impressive victory (made even more so by the absence of the Rally Baby), Ohio State's record stands at 3-1.

With the Lawsox holding a 3-0 advantage, the Bucks got on the board in the top of the 3rd inning.  Andrew Vanatta led off the inning with a single, advancing on a sharp grounder by Ethan Linen that proved too hot to handle.  Eileen Howe, who made her Buckeye debut via Alabama, advanced the runners with a key sacrifice.  Kevin Ma followed with a clutch RBI single.  Linen then scored on a Lawsox fielding error, bringing the Buckeyes to within 3-2 after the frame.

After the Lawsox extended their lead to 4-2, the Buckeyes returned to the plate during a steady rain.  Brian Keatts doubled with one out and came home when Evan Binder belted a two-run homer.  With the score knotted at 4 after 3 ½ innings, the Buckeyes turned up the heat on defense.  Viviana Dinucci moved from behind the plate to second base for this game (in part due to a failed public relations campaign entitled “Catch VD”), and made a bid to hold down the spot with her fine fielding.  Tom Antoniello kept runners at bay with his strong arm in left field, while JT Ferrara shuttled between the outfield and infield, excelling at both.

With the lights on and the rain having subsided, OSU made their move in the top of the 6th inning.  Jon Graham started the inning with a single and scored when Jessica Brown scorched a double down the left field line.  With one down, Keatts lined a single up the middle to advance Brown to third base.  Binder then lofted a sacrifice fly, scoring Brown and giving Ohio State its first lead at 6-4. 

That's the way things stood going into the bottom of the 7th, when Ohio State conceded a run before closing the case on the Lawsox with continued solid defense.  It was another big win for OSU over a strong opponent - a theme the Buckeyes will look to continue when they return to the field on May 24th.