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.

Return of the Rally Baby Sparks Impressive Buckeye Victory

By BRIAN KEATTS

RIVERBANK PARK (May 10, 2012) - Ohio State (2-1) put forth one of its best efforts in years, dismantling the first place 24/7 Real Media team by a mercy-shortened 22-7 margin on a gusty evening on the Hudson River.  The victory coincided with the return of 5 ½ month old Scott Kreisler to the dugout, upping OSU's record to 2-0 when he is in attendance.

This one was over early, as the Bucks sent a team record 20 batters to the plate in the top of the first inning en route to assuming a commanding 15-0 lead.  Every player in the 11-person Buckeye lineup scored at least once during the inning, which saw OSU string together line drive after line drive against a quality opponent.  Jon Graham and Carly Klingensmith started off the inning with singles.  Brian Keatts followed with an RBI single, which was followed by singles from Tom Antoniello and Evan Binder - who drove in two on the hit.  After Andrew Vanatta reached base, Lisa Imel and Kevin Sheen (both making their season debuts and who went a combined 6 for 8 on the evening) stroked RBI singles.  Kevin Ma used a keen eye to draw a walk to load the bases.  Jeanne Domurat followed his lead with an RBI walk.  Not to be outdone, Anne Teuschel put down the Rally Baby long enough to draw an RBI walk of her own - forcing a 24/7 pitching change in the process.

The Buckeyes showed the incoming pitcher no mercy.  Graham greeted him with a double to score 2 more.  After 24/7 finally recorded an out, Keatts hit an RBI single.  Antoniello cleared the bases with a 3-run homer.  Singles by Binder and Imel allowed Sheen to complete the scoring with an RBI single - capping a record setting inning and giving OSU a 15-0 lead.

24/7 was in first place for a reason, and they managed to crawl back to 15-6 heading into the top of the 4th inning.  It could have been more, but left fielder Antoniello gunned down a runner at home trying to score on a single.

Ohio State extinguished (Amare Stoudamire-style) any 24/7 hopes of a comeback with another strong inning in the 4th.  Vanatta started the inning with a single and came around to score on a Sheen double.  A single by Ma put runners on the corners.  The ladies stepped up again, with Domurat lacing an RBi single and Teutschel driving home another run with a ground ball.  With two outs, Graham doubled, followed by an RBI single from Klingensmith.  At the end of the frame, Ohio State had a 20-6 advantage.

24/7 managed a single run in the bottom of the 4th, before Ohio State put them out of their misery.  Antoniello singled and Binder doubled to start the 5th inning.  Both eventually scored on singles by Vanatta and Sheen, respectively.  Holding a 22-7 lead, Ohio State slammed the door shut in the bottom half of the inning, mercifully ending the game.

This was truly one of the most well played games in recent memory.  Ohio State takes their act to the East River on Monday, where they will take on the Lawsox - hopefully with the Rally Baby in tow.