Return of the Rally Baby Sparks Impressive Buckeye Victory

By BRIAN KEATTS

RIVERBANK PARK (May 10, 2012) - Ohio State (2-1) put forth one of its best efforts in years, dismantling the first place 24/7 Real Media team by a mercy-shortened 22-7 margin on a gusty evening on the Hudson River.  The victory coincided with the return of 5 ½ month old Scott Kreisler to the dugout, upping OSU's record to 2-0 when he is in attendance.

This one was over early, as the Bucks sent a team record 20 batters to the plate in the top of the first inning en route to assuming a commanding 15-0 lead.  Every player in the 11-person Buckeye lineup scored at least once during the inning, which saw OSU string together line drive after line drive against a quality opponent.  Jon Graham and Carly Klingensmith started off the inning with singles.  Brian Keatts followed with an RBI single, which was followed by singles from Tom Antoniello and Evan Binder - who drove in two on the hit.  After Andrew Vanatta reached base, Lisa Imel and Kevin Sheen (both making their season debuts and who went a combined 6 for 8 on the evening) stroked RBI singles.  Kevin Ma used a keen eye to draw a walk to load the bases.  Jeanne Domurat followed his lead with an RBI walk.  Not to be outdone, Anne Teuschel put down the Rally Baby long enough to draw an RBI walk of her own - forcing a 24/7 pitching change in the process.

The Buckeyes showed the incoming pitcher no mercy.  Graham greeted him with a double to score 2 more.  After 24/7 finally recorded an out, Keatts hit an RBI single.  Antoniello cleared the bases with a 3-run homer.  Singles by Binder and Imel allowed Sheen to complete the scoring with an RBI single - capping a record setting inning and giving OSU a 15-0 lead.

24/7 was in first place for a reason, and they managed to crawl back to 15-6 heading into the top of the 4th inning.  It could have been more, but left fielder Antoniello gunned down a runner at home trying to score on a single.

Ohio State extinguished (Amare Stoudamire-style) any 24/7 hopes of a comeback with another strong inning in the 4th.  Vanatta started the inning with a single and came around to score on a Sheen double.  A single by Ma put runners on the corners.  The ladies stepped up again, with Domurat lacing an RBi single and Teutschel driving home another run with a ground ball.  With two outs, Graham doubled, followed by an RBI single from Klingensmith.  At the end of the frame, Ohio State had a 20-6 advantage.

24/7 managed a single run in the bottom of the 4th, before Ohio State put them out of their misery.  Antoniello singled and Binder doubled to start the 5th inning.  Both eventually scored on singles by Vanatta and Sheen, respectively.  Holding a 22-7 lead, Ohio State slammed the door shut in the bottom half of the inning, mercifully ending the game.

This was truly one of the most well played games in recent memory.  Ohio State takes their act to the East River on Monday, where they will take on the Lawsox - hopefully with the Rally Baby in tow.

OSU Shuts Down Dublin House

By BRIAN KEATTS

RIVERSIDE PARK (August 2, 2011) - The Buckeyes entered the make-up part of their schedule by playing two on the banks of the Hudson River this evening. OSU exercised timely hitting and superb hitting to walk away with a 9-4 win over Dublin House in the opener.

After Dublin House took a 2-0 lead to start the game, Ohio State took the lead for good in the bottom of the 1st inning. Brian Keatts laced a one-out single up the middle and scored on a triple by Evan Binder, who peppered the first baseman with sharp grounders all day. JT Ferrera followed with an RBI double and came around to score on a grounder by Carly Klingensmith giving Ohio State a 3-2 lead.

The Buckeyes added a run in the 3rd inning. Singles by Binder and Ferrera put runners on the corners. Ethan Linen came through with a big two-out double to give OSU a 4-2 advantage. Ohio State broke it open in the bottom of the 4th inning by scoring three more times. Anne Teutschel, who put on an impressive display of pregnancy softball (so much so that the team is considering requiring that next season's female players play whilst knocked up), reached base with one out. John McClafferty reached when Dublin House couldn't handle his hot shot. Both scored on Binder's second triple of the game. Ferrera connected for an RBI single, making the score 7-2 after 4 innings.

The Buckeyes held Dublin House in check behind some strong fielding. Kevin Ma stepped in to man second base, while Claire McClafferty called her typical smart game from behind the plate. Andrew Vannata roamed the outfield while contributing a hit to the cause. And, Klingensmith sparkled at third base in both game. These efforts did not go unnoticed - by anyone at Riverside Park - thanks to the color commentary provided by Jeff Kriesler, who found himself on the Physically Unable to Perform list for the evening.

After Dublin House managed to scratch out two runs in the top of the 6th inning, Ohio State served notice that there would be no comeback win on this night by returning the favor in the bottom half of the frame. Teutschel singled and scored on a home run by Keatts that completed the scoring at 9-4.

After a brief respite, Ohio State returned to the field for the second game, this time taking on the league's top team. Despite a valiant effort, the Bucks dropped a 9-4 decision, evening their record at 5-5. The season finale is on August 5th, as the squad looks to finish with a winning record and possibly weave their way into the playoffs.

OSU Deposits a 14-2 Loss on the U.S. Bank Five Stars

By BRIAN KEATTS

RIVERSIDE PARK (May 1, 2008) - Ohio State (2-0) put on a dominating performance this evening en route to a 14-2 victory over the U.S. Bank Five Stars (1-2). Talk about your banker’s hours, this one was stopped after 5 innings due to the mercy rule.

The Buckeyes made a 1 run donation to the Bank in the top of the 1st inning, but quickly erased the deficit in their half of the frame. Danny Muskat led off with a single and scored on a two run homer by Brian Keatts. Nick Ponder made it back-to-back jacks for the Bucks with a soaring homer over the left field wall. Mike Green singled and moved to second on a one out single by Alicia Korney. John McClafferty cleared the bases with a long home run, giving the Buckeyes a 6-1 lead. Annie Heck and Kevin Ma kept the rally going with back-to-back singles. Then the super-subs took over. Chrissy Korney (of the famously athletic Korney sisters) stroked a single, followed by wily veteran Cindy Bubniak driving home OSU’s 7th run of the inning.

Solid pitching by ace Rick Muskat and some sparkling defense held the Bank to one run over the next 4 innings. Alicia Korney played brilliantly in her first outing at the hot corner, as did Heck holding down second base.

Ohio State picked up where they left off when they came to bat in the 2nd inning. Ponder and Green hit one out singles, with Rick Muskat driving home the inning’s first run with a single of his own. Alicia Korney and McClafferty followed with RBI singles to increase the Buckeye lead to 10-1. With two outs, Ma doubled home a run. Chrissy Korney completed the scoring with her second hit of the game, driving home the Bucks 13th run.

The Buckeyes tacked on their final run in the bottom of the 4th inning, which gave them the necessary margin for a mercy rule victory. Alicia Korney started the inning by lacing a double down the left field line. She scored moments later when McClafferty smacked a double into the gap in left center.

With the win, the Buckeyes improved to 2-0. They will look to continue their hot hitting when they take on the Mad Fishers in Morningside Park next week.