Baseball: 5-run second inning guides Minnesota to 6-2 victory, series win

Tyler Danburg
Mon, 03 Apr 2023 01:43:03 +0000
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Ohio State sophomore infielder Tyler Pettorini (42) swings at the ball during the Ohio State-Wright State game March 21. Ohio State lost 3-0. Credit: Katie Good | Asst. Photo Editor

With the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the second inning, Minnesota sophomore second baseman Brady Counsell was hit by a pitch from Ohio State sophomore right-hander George Eisenhardt, beginning a five-run frame for the Gophers.

In the next three at-bats, sophomore third baseman Jake Perry ripped a two-run single, junior center fielder Brett Bateman roped an RBI double, and freshman catcher Weber Neels took a pitch in the dirt that allowed Perry to score.

Minnesota’s second-inning two-out rally proved to be the difference, guiding the Gophers to a 6-2 win Sunday at Bill Davis Stadium and a series victory over the Buckeyes.

“You can break down the weekend really easily,” head coach Bill Mosiello said. “They scored eight runs in two innings to win two games.”

In the bottom of the first inning, Ohio State (13-13, 1-5 Big Ten) seemed to pick up where they left off from Saturday’s win. With the bases loaded, graduate catcher Cole Andrews brought in a run on a 6-4-3 double play, but redshirt senior right-hander Richie Holetz escaped the inning.

“We had our chance in the very first inning,” Mosiello said. “We make a couple of baserunning blunders and instead of getting three runs, we get one run and that guy did a great job and it’s really frustrating.”

Holetz allowed just two runs and struck out a season-high eight Ohio State batters over six innings.

Holetz’s second run allowed came in the bottom of the fifth.?

After Bateman drove in the Gophers’ (7-20, 2-1 Big Ten) final run of the game in the top of the fourth, sophomore second baseman Tyler Pettorini pulled Ohio State within four on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fifth.

After eight combined runs in the first five innings, the Buckeyes and Gophers allowed no runs in the final four.

Sophomores left-hander Connor Wietgrefe and right-hander Seth Clausen allowed zero combined runs on one hit in the final four frames. Clausen closed out the Buckeyes in the bottom of the ninth to win Minnesota’s second Big Ten game of the year.

Eisenhardt got the loss in just 1 1/3 innings as the starter, giving up five runs — four earned — on three hits while walking one.?

Graduate right-hander Will Pfennig went the farthest on the mound for the Buckeyes, retiring all six batters he faced in the seventh and eighth innings. Eisenhardt and Pfennig were one of nine Ohio State pitchers used in the loss, as the pitching staff did not allow a Minnesota run after the fourth inning.

“We got some things to work off,” Mosiello said. “There were some positives from that, and I don’t have a choice but to look at that.”

Ohio State looks to move above .500 when it hosts Kent State Tuesday at 6 p.m. The game will be streamed on Big Ten Network+.