The Ohio State Buckeyes' season stays alive with a comeback win over the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.
Ohio State's baseball season stays alive thanks to a comeback victory over the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.
The Buckeyes were in a tight, tense ball game with Rutgers before they struck first in the fourth inning, thanks to a long ball by, you guessed it, Henry Kaczmar.
Kaczmar is by far and away the leader of this team from what he does both on the defensive side of the ball and at the plate. He is truly one of the best shortstops in the country, and at the plate, he has the ability to change a game.
On Wednesday, he did just that. He connected on a pitch in the fourth inning and sent it over the right field wall to break the scoring.
The Buckeyes lead didn't last long.
In the top of the sixth, Rutgers responded with the only blemish on Pierce Herrenbuck's game line. Rutgers scratched a pair of runs thanks to a fielder's choice and an error, which led to the Buckeyes surrendering their lead.
Ohio State wouldn't die. Just as they did one night earlier against Washington, they responded right away.
Trailing by a run, they went into the bottom of the sixth inning and tied things up on a Noah Furcht RBI single.
The 2-2 score stayed that way through the seventh, and then in the bottom of the eighth, the Buckeyes got the run that they needed. First baseman Dane Harvey spit one to left-center to drive in a run with an RBI double.
It proved to be enough as Herrenbuck came back out for the top of the ninth and shoved right past the Scarlet Knights to end their season.
Herrenbuck was by far and away the MVP of the game on Wednesday as he went 9.0, giving up just six hits, with four walks, three strikeouts, and one earned run.
Next up for the Buckeyes is another elimination game between the loser of Washington and Michigan, which is a late-night matchup in Omaha.
The Buckeyes' road now is just one win from escaping the double-elimination phase of this bracket. If they are able to win their next game, no matter the opponent, they will get the opportunity to play the top-seeded Nebraska Cornhuskers in the single-elimination round of the tournament.
Tomorrow is a huge day for the Buckeye program. They could take another crucial step in getting closer to making the NCAA Tournament.
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