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.
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