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Ohio State lost twice Friday night, though only once officially. Purdue claimed a 7-4 victory (box score) and the Buckeyes drew just 3,093 fans, far short of the 5,360 fans that set the stadium record in 2002. The game was the first of four games targeted by the OSU athletics department to set school or national attendance records.
While that was a blow to the campaign, the baseball team slipped even further behind in its chase toward a regular season Big Ten title. Michigan beat Michigan State to improve to 12-1 in league play, while Purdue increased its second-place lead over the Buckeyes, improving to 10-3. Ohio State is now 7-5 in league play.
Ryne White gave Purdue a 1-0 lead with a solo homer in the first and the Boilermakers added two more in the fifth before Ohio State got a home run from Zach Hurley in the bottom of the inning. The Buckeyes added another in the sixth to pull within a 3-2 score, but the Boilers responded with three runs in the seventh. Two more OSU runs crossed in the bottom of the seventh before allowing a second home run to White in the top of the ninth.
White finished the game 4-for-4 with 3 RBI and three runs scored. Brandon Haveman was 3-for-4 and Jordan "Funky" Comadena added a pair of hits.
OSU starter Jake Hale was touched six runs on 11 hits in 6.1 innings. He struck out four and walked two in dropping his first decision of the season (4-1). Andrew Armstrong and Alex Wimmers each allowed two hits in their 1.1 innings as Buckeye pitching allowed 15 hits.
Ohio State managed just five hits and stranded baserunners. Dan Burkhart was 2-for-3 with one RBI and one run scored. Purdue left 11 runners on base so the outcome could have been much worse for the Buckeyes.
The loss was the first in a conference opener for Ohio State this season. It also was the first time this season the top four in the batting order went hitless. Purdue's top four accounted for 10 hits.
The-Ozone.net recap | Columbus Dispatch Story | Purdue recap
Better luck to the men's lacrosse and football teams as they go for national attendance marks Saturday in Ohio Stadium. Men's LaX plays Denver at 11 a.m. and the football Buckeyes play their annual spring game with kickoff slated for 1:30 p.m. Sunday, the softball team will try to set a school attendance mark against Penn State.
Of course, the Buckeyes and Boilermakers continue the four-game Big Ten series Saturday with a doubleheader at 1:05 p.m.
8 comments:
Same old story...Down early,1st hit was a HR by Hurley in the 5th. Late rally falls short,bullpen can't hold down Purdue for a 7-4 loss.
Jake was hit hard tonight,did not have the curve working and Purdue 1B R.White went nuts on us 2 HR,3 RBI. Purdue had 15 hits to our 5. The pen was not horrible but could not keep it close enough. They have to throw strikes when they get the chance too.
Arp had a nice PH Rbi single in the 7th.Still no Delucia at 3rd.Top 3 Buckeyes in the lineup went 0-11.Burk had 2 hits,but needs a day off.No Meade today,TK was the DH.
Purdue sophomore Matt Bischoff was very impressive on the hill.He was ahead all night in the count and has a nice selection of pitches.Very good looking pitcher with great command.
Oh well, DH Saturday with a 60% chance of rain in C-bus.
Drew
Keep track on how Hale does after his 10-inning, 130+ pitch game last weekend.
White is batting .600 aginst the Bucks in 30 AB's. You IBB once, but go after him 4 other times? Yeah good call there.
That Columbus Dispatch story essentially blamed the loss on Nike bats. Looks like Michigan is using Nike bats as well and seem to be doing okay with them.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bostonfaninmichigan/2422091058/
Using Nike bats is just an excuse just like Ohio State fielding such a "young" team. Coach Todd sure wasn't complaining Wednesday when his team had 18 hits. After getting little offense Friday, the Buckeyes had no offense in game one Saturday. I think they are surprised to be seeing improved pitching in the Big Ten. At some point you have to deal with the hand that's dealt and make the most of it. Ohio State is a Nike school. The Louisville era is over.
Bob Todd should have never said what we said in the paper about the bats.He should know better.We are a nike school that is ran by nike.We should be able to buy bats from where OSU wants to,not what Nike says.We wear their hats,shirts,Jersey's and shoe.Let TPX sell bats.
I disagree about the pitching in the Big Ten.It is a little better this year than last,but not much.Sad to say,our offensive is very bad.The Jansen kid from Purdue had a 9.00 ERA and we could not touch him. That is why we can't win games.We can't hit.Hurley is playing well and does not even play today?
Have to disagree with we should be able to buy bats where we want. We're a Nike school, and by contract we have to wear/use Nike products, where Nike products are made. I work in the one area where it is common to not have a Nike product, in hockey. Nike does not make a wooden hockey stick therefore the programs, mostly women, are allowed to go elsewhere. Players have to get special waviers to wear non-Nike skates.
I have heard of schools breaking their contract and going away from the Nike bats, USC for example, but I don't see OSU making a company mad that outfits their 36 varsity sports.
Rocky said ... 'but I don't see OSU making a company mad that outfits their 36 varsity sports.'
... make mad? does Nike want to 'make mad' OSU? Do you beieve that if Nike took thier bats and went home that no other Athletic Company would fill the void for the baseball / other 35 programs? Unless you are aware of a REALLY sweet deal that OSU is getting from Nike who cares if Nike 'gets mad'?
Having said that I do agree that the bats are a bit of an overplay by Todd. Don't seem to bother UM
Yeah I'm quite aware of many aspects involving the OSU-Nike relationship. Not tooting my own horn at all, but working inside the department of athletics, having to make PO's to Nike on a weekly basis, and such Nike does provide a lot that Adidas, or whoever else cannot as a company as a whole.
Michigan is switching next year to being an Adidas school, so they can use whatever bat they want, but for OSU and its 36 sports Nike right now is its only option.
I mean if it weren't the case I'm sure the baseball program wouldv've ditched the Nike bats back in 06 when they first started having problems. Nike could easily replace OSU, with USC, Florida, Texas, LSU, Florida State, and so on. They wouldn't feel the hurt as much.
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