Buckeyes Lay Down the Lawsox... Again

By BRIAN KEATTS

EAST RIVER (June 25, 2013) - Sometimes, history does repeat itself.  Flashback to 2012:  Ohio State squared off against the undefeated Lawsox...on the banks of the East River...and came away with a 6-5 victory.  Fast forward to this evening: OSU once again took on an undefeated Lawsox team (now 6-1)...on the banks of the East River...and again dealt the Sox their first loss.  This time, the victory came during a season ending clash in the form of a 6-2 victory.

Ohio State spotted the Lawsox a 2-0 lead after the first inning.  That lead would be short lived.  The Bucks got on the board in the 2nd inning when Jimmy Klingensmith led off the inning with a walk (1 of 6 base on balls the Buckeyes drew in the game) and took third on a single by Evan Binder.  Tom Antoniello followed with a sacrifice fly to score the run and cut the deficit to 2-1.

The Buckeyes took the lead for good the next inning.  Denise Sluterbeck reached base on a fielder's choice.  Back-to-back walks to Jon Graham and Carly Klingensmith loaded the bases. An RBI sacrifice fly by Brian Keatts tied the game at 2.  Jimmy Klingensmith then came through with a two out single to give Ohio State a 3-2 lead.

The Buckeye defense remained strong throughout the game - turning two double plays.  Andrew Vannata and Kevin Ma successfully patrolled the outfield, while Jen Harbour and Carly Klingensmith made plays in the infield.  Not that they needed it, but the Bucks added to their lead in the 6th inning when Jimmy Klingensmith connected for a seeing-eye home run.

Ohio State completed the scoring in the 7th inning, plating two more runs.  Sluterbeck drew a one out walk and scored when Jon Graham connected for a home run, giving the Bucks a 6-2 lead and providing the final margin of victory.  The win capped a 6-5 campaign for Ohio State. The Buckeyes remain in the hunt for a playoff spot, but now must sit and wait to see how things play out.  Regardless of what the future holds, this was a fine way to end another winning season.

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.