From the Official site (
http://ohiostatebuckeyes.ocsn.com/sp...033104aaa.html)
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio State took a no-hitter into the seventh inning but Eastern Michigan starting pitcher George Biddle allowed only two hits in 8.2 innings as the Eagles came back to score two runs in the final two innings to steal the Buckeyes' home opener by a score of 2-1.
Having just gotten the one-run lead in the top of the ninth inning, Biddle, who played at Newark Catholic High School in Newark, Ohio, had a one-hitter going into the bottom of the inning.
Jacob Howell (Fr., Ashland, Ohio/Ashland), the potential tying run, reached base on a two-out fielding error by the Eastern Michigan second baseman, who dropped a pop up just beyond the infield dirt.
Steve Caravati (Jr., Dover, Ohio/Dover) singled to left field to put two runners on base. That prompted a pitching change as the Eagles went with Ryan Vandenbussche in to face perhaps the Buckeyes' hottest hitter of the moment,
Jedidiah Stephen (So., Caldwell, Ohio/Shenandoah), but Stephen flew out to center to end the game.
Biddle ended up with three strikeouts and a pair of walks against the two hits. After giving up a hit to his second batter of the game, he retired the next 13 batters before his second walk. He than sat down the next 12 before the ninth inning error and Caravati base hit.
The Buckeyes were equally as strong to begin the game.
Dan DeLucia (Fr., Columbus, Ohio/Bishop Watterson) made his first start as a Buckeye and threw the first four innings of the game in the abbreviated started. The only base runners came from walks in the second and fourth innings.
Mike Madsen (Jr., Chesterland, Ohio/Notre Dame Cathedral Latin) came on to pitch the next two innings keeping the Eagles off the scoreboard and out of the hit column.
Keeping in line with the pre-game plan of getting several pitchers into the game to prepare for this weekend's Big Ten opener,
Trey Fausnaugh (Fr., Circleville, Ohio/Westfall) entered the game in the top of the seventh. He gave up base hits to the first two batters of the inning and then gave up a sac bunt to Ryan Arnett to advance both runners into scoring position before settling down to strike out the next two batters to get out of the inning without allowing a run. It was just the second run allowed by Fausnaugh in 13 innings this season.
Biddle's only hit in the first eight innings of the game came in the first inning.
Drew Anderson (Jr., Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) drew a leadoff walk and turned it into the only Ohio State run of the game. Anderson stole second and then moved to third on a single to shallow left-center field by Howell. Caravati scored Anderson on a sacrifice fly to center field.
The Eagles tied the game in the eighth on their third hit of the game. Brian Bixler's two-out single fell just in front a charging
Mike Rabin (Jr., West Chester, Ohio/Lakota East) and that scored Ben Jones who had reached on a one-out walk.
Trent Luyster (Jr., Flushing, Ohio/Harrison Central) came on to finish the inning with a strikeout of Ford.
Eastern Michigan took the lead in the top of the ninth off of Luyster thanks to three hits in the inning, including a leadoff hit to right-center field by Derrick Peterson. Luyster struck out Arnett, but back-to-back singles by Todd Kimling and Brad Hrovat advanced Peterson and then allowed him to score the go-ahead run with one out.
Luyster fell to 0-3 in his eighth appearance of the season and the fourth in relief. He gave up the winning run on three hits with two strikeouts in 1.1 innings. Vandenbussche picked up his second save for the Eagles, which improved to 9-10 on the season.
The Buckeyes (7-10 overall, 0-0 in the Big Ten) open conference play this weekend when they welcome Illinois (6-10, 0-0) to Bill Davis Stadium. The teams will play a single game Friday at 6:35 p.m. to be followed by a doubleheader Saturday at 4:05 p.m. The series concludes Sunday with a single game at 1:05 p.m.
Buckeyes open in Bill Davis 3-31
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