Illini pitchers were the talk of the game Sunday afternoon as a quartet of arms combined to throw a three-hit shutout of the Buckeyes.
Ohio State (3-1) was blanked 8-0 by Illinois (1-3) in the final game of the Opening Weekend four-game set between the two ballclubs. Illini redshirt-freshman left-handed pitcher Cole Kirschsieper threw five innings of one-hit ball, striking out a new career-high six batters and walking four.
Junior shortstop Zach Dezenzo and redshirt-senior first baseman Conner Pohl each went 1-3 with a double. Illinois totaled 11 hits as sophomore first baseman Justin Janas went 3-3 with two runs scored and a walk, while sophomore catcher Ryan Hampe drove in two runs as he went 2-4 at the plate.
The Buckeyes grounded into three double-plays, including one in the eighth inning after junior left fielder Marcus Ernst led off the frame with a single. The Illini held a major advantage in moving runners over, going 13-21 in advancement opportunities whereas the Buckeyes just 1-14.
Ohio State junior right-handed pitcher Will Pfenning made his season-debut on the mound. He appeared in four games with one start in 2020, allowing four earned-runs and striking out 12 in 7.1 innings of work.
For the second-straight game, Illinois scored in the first inning. Senior center fielder Taylor Jackson led off the bottom of the first with a ground-rule double to right field, later scoring on an RBI single from sophomore shortstop Branden Comia two batters later.
A run-scoring groundout preceded Hampe driving in the third run of the inning on an RBI single. Pfenning got sophomore designated hitter Andrew Kim to groundout and end the inning, but after he had already thrown 43 pitches.
Pfennig settled and struck out the side in the second before allowing an RBI single to Janas. The Mason, Ohio, native finished after allowing five runs on four hits and three walks, getting four strikeouts in 2.2+ IP.
Redshirt-senior RHP Joe Gahm entered in relief and gave up an RBI double to Hampe before ending the third inning. Gahm allowed a leadoff walk and single in the fourth, and Beals went to the bullpen again, this time bringing in sophomore RHP Wyatt Loncar.
Loncar gave Ohio State four quality innings on the mound, muzzling Illinois to two hits while striking out four.
The Buckeyes got their first base hit of the game from a double off the bat of Pohl in the fourth inning, but the next five Ohio State hitters were retired. Dezenzo doubled with two outs in the sixth.
Sophomore RHP Ethan Hammerberg took the mound to begin the eighth, and freshman second baseman Cal Hejza drove in the Illini's sixth run of the game with an RBI double. Two more runs scored on wild pitches before Hammerberg was lifted for freshman RHP Trent Jones.
Freshman lefty Payton Hutchings entered the game in the ninth and struck out three Buckeyes batters in addition to issuing a walk to seal the Illini win.
Ohio State returns to the diamond Friday to contest Nebraska and Iowa each in a two-game series at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. First pitch will be thrown at noon against the Hawkeyes.
