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 Quell British Invasion for 7-6 Season Finale Win

By BRIAN KEATTS

QUEENSBORO OVAL (July 31, 2012) - Returning to the clay field under the 59^th Street Bridge (the site of some of the Buckeyes’ bigger playoff wins in years past) for the first time in several seasons, Ohio State closed out the regular season with a 7-6 victory over the British Consulate to end the year at 6-5.  The victory keeps the team’s playoff hopes alive as they await the conclusion of regular season play.

Jonathan Graham started things off for the Buckeyes with, what some would call, a majestic home run over the left centerfield fence, staking OSU to a 1-0 lead.  Over the next three innings the Consulate managed to put together 4 runs to claim a 4-1 lead heading into the top of the 4^th inning.  The Buckeyes then began chipping away, with a single by Tom Antoniello followed by a JT Ferrara double.  Jessica Brown came up with a big double down the line to score Antoniello, with Ferrara meeting an untimely fate at home plate.

The score remained 4-2 heading in the top of the 5^th inning.  Pam Swidler, making her second appearance of the season, started the inning with a sharp single.  With one out, Viviana Dinucci reached on a fielder’s choice and then turned on the jets to reach home when Graham smacked a two out triple.  Carly Klingensmith picked up Graham with an RBI single, knotting the game at four apiece.

The Buckeye rally continued in the top of the 6^th inning.  Anoniello and Ferrara lead off with another single/double combo.  Brown followed with her second RBI of the game, scoring Antoniello on a sacrifice fly.  Andrew Vanneta then hit a run-scoring double, with Swidler capping the scoring with an RBI single.  At the end of the frame, the Buckeyes held a 7-4 advantage.  

Though the Buckeyes played relatively strong defense throughout the evening, with Brian Keatts returning from a two month absence to make several put outs at shortstop and Kevin Ma shuffling between right field and catcher, the Brits managed to scratch out a run in the 6^th inning, and another in the 7^th inning before OSU slammed the door on a 7-6 victory.  Ohio State ends the season with a winning record of 6-5, and gathers momentum heading into the fall campaign.

NO Mercy! Buckeyes Burn Wedding Crashers

By KEVIN MA

EAST RIVER (July 2, 2012) – Without team captain Brian Keatts, who was still on loan with the Phillies, the Ohio State Buckeyes won a seesaw battle and beat the Wedding Crashers 10-9 in one of the slowest game ever on this hot summer evening at East River. It was so slow the team from a latter game had to open their 24-pack and enjoyed this show from the sideline.

 

A few lucky hits from the Wedding Crashers saw the Buckeyes down 5-0 in the bottom half of the 1^st inning. Though, the Scarlet and Gray struck back quickly. Jon Graham led off the 1^st inning with a triple, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Tom Antoniello. After back-to-back singles from Evan Binder and JT Ferrara, Andrew Vanatta laced a line drive to the left field and the ball skipped past Crashers’ leftfielder for an inside-the-park home run, scoring Binder and Ferrara.

 

The Buckeyes took the lead in the 2^nd inning after back-to-back walks from Carly Klingensmith and Kevin Ma, followed by a homer from Graham to make it a 7-5. However, the Crashers scored 3 runs in the top of the 3^rd inning to take the lead again, but that was not going to last long.

 

Jessica Brown got on base after a fielder’s choice, and the Bucks loaded the bases after a single by Ethan Linen and a walk from [Brother] Jimmy Klingensmith. [Sister] Carly hit a single and scored Brown to tie the game, and with the bases remained loaded, Ma took a walk as Linen scored to make it 9-8.

The Crashers re-tied the game with a run in the top of the 4^th inning, but the Bucks quickly answered with a run to re-take the lead. Graham led off the inning with a single, and moved to second after a single by Pam Swidler. Graham and Swidler moved to second and third after a fly out by Antoniello, and a Binder walk which loaded the bases again. Ferrara hit a sacrifice fly to right center field as Graham scored and the Buckeyes took the lead for good.

 

With a strong defensive effort from Jeanne Domurat behind the plate, the Buckeyes held the Wedding Crashers scoreless the last two innings and they took the nail bitter 10-9.

The Buckeyes will enjoy a two-week break and they will return to the field on July 16^th at 7:15pm as they take on Mamiye in Central Park’s North Meadow.

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.

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.

Baby Rally Sparks Dramatic Ohio State Victory

By BRIAN KEATTS

RIVERSIDE PARK (April 17, 2012) - Ohio State softball returned to the banks of the Hudson River this evening to kick off their 12th season...and did so in style. Facing a 2 run deficit heading into the bottom of the 6th inning, and with the umpire threatening to call the game after 6 innings due to darkness, the Buckeyes pulled off one of the signature comebacks that they have became known for over all these years and came away with an 8-7 victory over Dublin House.

The House jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, which was quickly erased in the bottom half of the frame. With one out, Brian Keatts doubled and took third on a single by Tom Antoniello. Evan Binder lofted a sacrifice fly to score Keatts, and J.T. Ferrara completed the scoring with an RBI single.

The scored remained unchanged over the next few innings, during which the Bucks demonstrated some early season proficiency in the field. This included Andrew Vanatta scooping up grounders at shortstop, Ethan Linen tracking down fly balls and Viviana Dinucci ("VD") holding it down behind the plate.

Dublin House took a 4-2 lead in the top of the 4th inning, but once again, the lead was short-lived. Ohio State's two out rally in the bottom half of the game tied things up. Antoniello, Binder and Ferrara hit back-to-back-to-back singles to bring the Bucks within a run. Anne Teutschel followed with a solid single to load the bases. After Dublin House couldn't handle a Linen blooper, Binder scored and the game was knotted at 4.

Ohio State took a 5-4 lead after 5 innings when newcomer Jonathan Graham led off the inning with a single and scored on a one out line drive single by Kevin Ma. The House rebounded for 3 runs in the top of the 6th to grab a 7-5 lead. With darkness approaching, the umpire ruled that the game might not reach the 7th. So, the Buckeyes struck quickly. Binder doubled and showed his wheels by coming around to score on a double by Ferrara, closing the gap to 7-6. The scoring ended there, and the game moved to the 7th, where OSU shut down the House to get to their last licks. That's when the Buckeyes brought out their new weapon, the "Baby Rally" - spearheaded by 4 month-old Scott Kriesler, spawn of Anne and Jeff (each of whom picked up a hit between diaper changes). The Baby Rally proved to be unstoppable. Jessica Brown clubbed a double to lead off the inning, and scored when Graham followed with a sharp single. However, the Baby Rally had clearly flustered the Dublin squad, and they failed to cleanly field the single, threw the ball away, allowing an alert Graham to round the bases and score the winning run. Dramatic, indeed.

Ohio State looks to keep the momentum going when they return to the field on April 26th to take on Thirteam.

OSU's Resiliency Too Much For TCI

By BRIAN KEATTS

EAST RIVER (November 9, 2011) - Ohio State concluded the fall season in dramatic fashion, overcoming a late-inning deficit to pull out a 12-10 victory in 9 innings.

The Buckeyes broke out on top in the first inning on a double by Tommy Antoniello, who came around to score on an errant throw by the TCI third baseman on a ground ball. The lead was short lived however, as TCI took a 3-1 lead after one inning. OSU chipped away in the second inning. Carly Klingensmith led off the inning with a single, one of her four hits on the evening. Andrew Vannata and Rebecca (Ms. Nackson if you're nasty) Nackson followed with singles to cut the lead to 3-2. Then things got interesting. Though Vannata was clearly safe at 3rd on a Kevin Ma grounder, the umpire - who was sporting a seven o'clock shadow and coming off an 8 day bender - called Vannata out, despite TCI's acknowledgement that he was safe. The umpire was quoted as saying, "My bad", but the call stood. Instead of having bases loaded with no outs, the Bucks had runners at first and second with one out. A double play then put an end to a once promising inning.

Facing a 5-2 deficit, the Buckeyes struck again in the top of the 4th. Brian Keatts reached second on an error by the third baseman, and scored on a Klingensmith single, making the score 5-3. TCI extended the lead to 7-3, but Ohio State remained undeterred.

With the game nearing its conclusion, the Bucks stood tall in the top half of the 6th. Jonathan Keller tripled to start the frame, and scored when John McClafferty followed with a two run homer. A Keatts walk and (another) single by Klingensmith put runners on first and second. Vannata blooped a shot that confused the TCI fielders, and resulted in runners at the corners with one out. Ma came through with a two out single that scored Keatts and a hustling Vannata, tying the game at 7.

The Buckeyes mowed down TCI in the bottom half of the 6th, due in no small part to the nice game called by the Buckeye catcher, Viviana (Don't-Call-Me-VD) Dinucci. OSU's momentum carried into the top of the 7th inning, when they would score three more times. Juton Horstman and Antoniello set the table with back-to-back singles. With two outs, Keatts doubled down the line to score two runs, and came around to score on (another) Klingensmith single.

Ohio State took a 10-7 advantage into the bottom half of the 7th inning. Unfortunately, TCI managed to put together a 3 run rally. Let's not dwell on that - on to extra innings.

After a scoreless 8th inning, and with the fans on their feet as the longest game of the year now stretched into the 9th inning, more Buckeye drama unfolded. Antoniello singled to start the inning, and remained on first with two outs when Keatts belted a two run home run to centerfield, giving Ohio State a 12-10 lead. This time, the Buckeyes made the lead stand up, closing out TCI in the bottom of the 9th to earn the 12-10 victory - and a fine finish to the season.