By BRIAN KEATTS
QUEENSBORO OVAL (July 31, 2012) - Returning to the clay field under the 59th 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.
QUEENSBORO OVAL (July 31, 2012) - Returning to the clay field under the 59th 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 4th 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
5th 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 6th
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 6th
inning, and another in the 7th 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.
