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 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 Walk Off with Dramatic Victory

By BRIAN KEATTS

East River Park (April 22, 2010) - The season opener could not have produced a more thrilling conclusion than what we saw on the banks of the East River on Thursday evening. Ohio State erased a 9 run deficit - scoring 7 runs in dramatic fashion in the bottom of the 7th inning to come away with a 15-14 victory over WTAS.

After WTAS jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the 1st inning, the Buckeyes responded quickly. Kevin Sheen led off the 1st inning with a walk, and scored on a bloop triple by Brian Keatts. Evan Binder stroked an RBI single shortly thereafter to tie the game at 2.

Ohio State took the lead in the second inning. Kevin Ma led off the inning with a single and advanced to second base on a ground ball from Amy West (who warmed up for the game with a 3+ mile jog to the field with her dog) that proved too hot to handle. With 2 outs, Keatts, John McClaffery and Binder laced consecutive run scoring singles to give OSU a 5-2 lead.

Let's just skip the top of the 3rd inning, when the Bucks experienced a mini meltdown in the field. However, this did allow for the dramatic comeback. After 3 innings, WTAS held a 12-5 advantage. WTAS increased that lead to 14-5 after 4 innings. That's when the magic began to happen.

Over the final 3 innings, the Buckeye defense played lights out, posting a series of bagels. Sheen and Grace Sacro formed an impressive battery, mowing down hitters. Andrew Vanetta held things down in the outfield, routinely shagging fly balls. Ohio State also turned a 1-6-3 double play.

Ohio State chipped away at the lead in the 5th inning. Keatts started the inning with a single and advanced on a McClaffery walk. Binder drove them both home by launching a double to the right center field gap. Binder later scored on a ground ball by Ma, cutting the deficit to 14-8.

Needing 6 runs to force extra innings, Ohio State took their last licks in the bottom of the 7th. Vanetta drew a walk to start things off and moved to second on a single by Mike Green. A fielder's choice by Lisa Imel left runners on first and second with one out. Ma used his keen eye to draw a walk and load the bases. West came though with a clutch RBI single. Down 5 runs with the bases loaded and two outs, Sheen crushed a base clearing triple. Keatts followed with an RBI single, cutting the deficit to 14-13. At that point, McClafferty ended things with a walk off two run homer, touching off a Buckeye celebration and leaving their opponents dazed.

It was a great start to the season. The Bucks return to the field on April 29th when they take on Complete Chaos at DeWitt Clinton Park.

Buckeyes Storm Back to Quiet the Hurricanes

By BRIAN KEATTS

MORNINGSIDE PARK (April 22, 2008) - The Buckeyes put on quite a show in their season opener this evening, erasing an early five run deficit to defeat the Mighty Hurricanes 12-10. OSU's veteran presence combined with an infusion of new talent looked like it could be a force to be reckoned with in 2008.

Ohio State showed some rust in the field in the top of the 1st inning, allowing the Hurricanes to jump ahead 4-0. OSU got three of those runs back in the bottom half of the frame. With 2 outs and Lee Abramowitz on second base, Dave Busick smacked an RBI single. Sam Rosner followed with a 2 run blast, bringing the Buckeyes to within a run.

It took another couple of innings for the Bucks to completely shake off the rust. Heading into the bottom of the 3rd inning, OSU found themselves trailing by a score of 8-3. Kevin Ma started off the 3rd inning with a single, and scored with two outs when Nick Ponder stroked a triple. Brian Keatts drove home Ponder with a single, making the score 8-5.

Rick Muskat and Claire McClafferty found the zone after that. The pitcher/catcher duo shut out the Hurricanes over the next three innings. They were aided by some fine fielding by the likes of John McClafferty, Mike Green and a new slick-fielding second baseman, Annie Heck.

The Bucks chipped away at the lead in the 4th inning when Alicia Korney hit a screaming double down the left field line to score Rosner. The Bucks inflicted the bulk of the damage in the bottom half of the 6th inning, when they turned a 2 run deficit into a 4 run lead. Ma and Jackie Sunderland lead off the 6th with back to back singles. With 1 out, Ponder hit an RBI double. Keatts cleared the bases with a double of his own, giving Ohio State a 9-8 lead. Abramowitz and Busick followed with RBI singles. The scoring was completed when Danny Muskat lifted a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Busick and staking Ohio State to a 12-8 lead.

Though the Hurricanes managed to score twice in the top of the 7th inning, the Bucks eventually slammed the door shut to claim an exciting 12-10 win. It was a great start to a long season. Ohio State returns to the field on May 1st when they take on the U.S. Bank Five Stars.