With the score tied and the bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning, Ohio State pitcher Drew Rucinski hit Air Force second baseman Jon McMahon to give the Falcons a 9-8 win over the Buckeyes (box score) in the opening game of the Papa John’s Palm Beach Challenge.
The Buckeyes took an 8-6 lead in the top of the inning after Cory Rupert drove in J.B. Shuck, who led off the inning with a triple. Rupert scored on a ground-ball, double play. Eric Best returned to the mound in the bottom of the inning and gave up a lead-off single before getting a strikeout. But the Buckeyes went with Rucinski, who hit his first batter, Nathan Carter, before giving up a two-run triple to Addison Gentry. Rucinski walked Ben Ausbun, then intentionally walked Jason Griggs to load the bases before his second hit by pitch cost the Buckeyes the game.
It is a tough loss for the Buckeyes, who fell to 4-3. It was the third win for Air Force in 10 games this season. Ohio State, which committed two errors, out-hit its opponent 12-9. Rupert led the team with three hits in the No. 2 spot in the lineup. Lead-off batter J.B. Shuck and Cory Kovanda, batting ninth, each had two hits. Dan DeLucia got the start and lasted five innings, allowing two runs on six hits. He did not have a strikeout but walked one.
The Buckeyes play Maine Saturday at 5 p.m. and close out the weekend vs. UConn Sunday at noon.
8 comments:
Unreal. Really. I closed the Gamewatching when it was 8-6 figuring eh its Air Force we'll close it out. Yeah, wrong.
This is embarassing. Hey Rory you're a 5th year Senior step up and play like it.
In relation to that, why is our "closer" even coming during the 6th? Isn't that Wimmers/Best time? If you really need to clse it down, we play 3 games this weekend, someone out of Shuck, Hale, Wolosiansky isn't going to start throw them there if we're short on arms, which with Edgin, Minium, Barerra, Strayer, it seems unlikely, but I'm at a lost for whats going on.
Hey at least we got production from our 2-hole, and TK added some value to make up for his error.
Wimmers? Against A&M he walked 2, hit 2, and gave up a triple in 2/3 of an inning, sounds like tonight.
Against Arkansas he hit 2 batters and gave up a home run.
Before tonights game:
2008 ERA
Rucinski, Drew 0.00
Best, Eric 0.00
Wolosiansky, Dean 1.12
Meister, Rory 2.45
DeLucia, Dan 4.32
Shuck, J.B 4.91
Edgin, Josh 6.35
Wimmers, Alex 6.36
2007 ERA
Theron Minium 6.68
Darren Sizemore 8.66
Taylor Barnes 8.68
Jared Strayer DNP
Who would you pitch?
Didn't say I would have thrown Wimmers, when referring to "his time" just saying that has been where he has pitched in games. He followed JB in game 3, followed Dan in game 4.
Was more shocked that Rory was the pitcher to immediately follow DeLuica.
I probably would have gone with Best, and not for his 0.00 ERA you posted, which are meaningless, but for the fact that he has came in numerous times already this season in sticky situations, and has done a shaky but ok job of getting out of it.
What logical reason is there for throwing Rory out?
Sweet another season of Todd not knowing his players roles and just throwing guys out of the bullpen, improper places in the batting order, weak fielding options.
The 2006, and 2007 were gravely mismanaged. Just think if Miller, Shuck, and Hale (again) get drafted that 06 team had 8 starters get drafted, 2 great players in Zoeller and Howell, and a 3rd place Big Ten finish no NCAA.
Last year was even worse. Thank God he understood Jake is not a closer and made a few late season changes, or that team that finished 6th with all of the talent, would not have won the tourney.
Bad game. To lose to Air Force Come on Guys!
Why would you bring your closer in in the 6th is beyond me.That to me shows we have no depth in the pen.6 BB and 3 HBP don't help either. Dan Delucia pitched great and we wasted it. Meister and Best need to step it up big time.BT needs to try some other guys in middle relief. There is no excuse to lose these types of games. To be honest, we should not lose many games until we come home.
Rupert was good in the 2-hole and TK went deep. Hopefully, we get Brian Delucia back soon and Miller can catch. I am looking forward to Jake pitching this weekend.
Drew
highheat who would you have thrown though? just curious.
I since you don't really trust Wimmers, but lets look a little deeper than the overrated ERA stat.
Before tonight...
Wimmers has hit 4 batters, but has only 2 BB's for a total of 6 free passes out of 25 plate app.
Best is sitting at 6 free passes to 19 PA.
Rucinski with his 0.00 ERA has a BAA of .273, 6/22. Wimmers .158. 3/19.
K's
Best 4.1 IP, 4 K's
Rucinski 5.1 IP 5 K's
Wimmers 5.2 IP 9 K's
Alex has a bad ERA because he has followed up his 2 shaky periods with a triple against TAMU and a HR against Arkansas. I highly doubt he is the only pitcher, true freshman, that will have a bad stretch of 3-5 batters against those top 30 teams.
I agree Rocky about Todd not knowing the roles of the players out of the bullpen.
Very frustating for a coach with Todd's experience and time at OSU.
I would have liked to see Best or Wimmers tonight. Tough situation with the bases loaded. I would like to see Minium,Barrera or Edgin given a shot. I don't know,I like Barrera but he needs to get the job done when given the chance.I did not think Minium was to bad last year. I think Todd will sometimes over use 2 or 3 pitchers in the bullpen during the year. In the long run that hurts our depth and experience of our younger pitchers.
What about Popadak or Edgin? I think there are options in the bullpen, but you have to try them out.Now is the time to test them, not in the middle of the Big Ten season.
Tonight's game vs. Maine should start around 7:30pm.There has been rain in the West Palm Beach area, delaying the earlier games.
Dean Wolosiansky will be on the hill for the Bucks tonight.
Maine 8 9 2 Final
Bucks 7 8 4
This to me is an embarassing loss for the Bucks. Very frustrating games this trip to lose.
4 errors and 8 walks tonight. 2 runs scored on Passed balls by Gus with Edgin on the hill. Dean W also balked a run in.
Wolosiasky started and gave up 5 hits,4 ER's but walked 5 with 2 K's.
3rd Baseman Brian DeLucia returned to go 1-3. JB and Ryan Dew had 2 hits each. Bucks scored 3 in the 5th and 3 in the 9th.
Zack Hurley flied out with Tyler Engle (tying run) on 2nd in the 9th to end the game.
Not a good weekend at all so far. Sounds like our pitching and defense is not ready yet. We can not keep giving games away. I know it is very early but still annoying.
Drew
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