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.