Ohio State righty Bayden Root dug his cleats into the pitching rubber after loading the bases with two outs following his entrance from the bullpen in the bottom of the 12th inning on Friday.

The junior took a breath, then fired the second pitch of the at-bat to Illinois junior right fielder Cam McDonald, getting him to fly out and end the threat. Root struck out the final two hitters to seal the Buckeyes' first win of the season, and foreshadowed the strength of the bullpen pitchers the rest of the weekend.

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