After a four-plus hour, 13-inning season-opener, Ohio State played even more baseball on Saturday.

Ohio State (3-0) defeated Illinois (0-3) behind another extra-inning affair in Game 1 and a 15-hit, 12-run performance in Game 2 on Saturday.

"I like where we’re at," head coach Greg Beals said. "We’ve had a really good last week of preparation leading up to Opening Day."

Freshman right fielder Kade Kern was the story of Friday’s game after going 5-6 in his first outing wearing a Buckeyes uniform, and kept his hot bat with him on Saturday. The Archbold, Ohio, native went 2-5 with a double and four RBIs in Game 1.

The Buckeyes had runners on first and second when the go-ahead run scored in the top of the ninth inning during an error from Illinois shortstop Branden Comia off the bat of senior catcher Archer Brookman. Junior shortstop Zach Dezenzo, who reached on a 5-4 fielder's choice, scored on the error.

In Game 2, Illinois jumped out to a 4-0 lead after Illinois senior third baseman Jackson Raper drove in two on a single. Then, the Buckeyes sent 13 batters to the plate in the top half of the second inning, scoring eight runs. Redshirt-senior first baseman Conner Pohl finished 3-5 with a two-run home run, three RBIs and two runs scored.

The two teams played the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader shortly after the end of the first game.

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The Buckeyes bats picked up where they left off the night before, and Kern’s in particular. The freshman drove in three in the top of the first with a bases-clearing double down the right field line.

Kern drove in his fourth run of the game with an RBI single in the top of the fifth. Pohl moved to second on the base hit, then got in a rundown in which the tag applied by Raper was close, but umpires ruled Pohl out, thus leaving sophomore left fielder Mitchell Okuley to strike out with Kern on first.

Redshirt-junior left-handed pitcher Seth Lonsway made his first start of the season and held the Illini hitless through the first two innings. He was pulled after 2.2+ innings and allowed an RBI triple and two-run single to tie the game, then threw two wild pitches of which scored the go-ahead fourth run. Lonsway finished with six strikeouts, but walked four and hit two more.

"He was still able to get his strikeouts there in the first couple innings and get himself out, but he never really got himself comfortable in the game," Beals said. "I think it was just really good for him to get this first game under his belt. I’m excited to see him take the mound next week up in Minneapolis."

Freshman RHP Nate Haberthier made his collegiate debut and pitched in relief in the third inning, going 2.2 innings while striking out two and walking none as he gave up five hits.

Illinois got a runner to reach scoring position in each of the final four innings, but couldn't capitalize. Illini senior center fielder Taylor Jackson went 3-5 with a walk, double and run scored while junior right fielder Cam McDonald went 2-5 with two RBIs.

Illini junior starting pitcher Riley Gowens threw 3.1 innings and allowed three runs off six hits and a pair of walks.

Junior RHP Bayden Root got Jackson to groundout and end the game, earning the save in one inning of relief.

The bats were alive and well early from both teams in the second game of the afternoon. Fives Buckeyes recorded multi-hit games, and Pohl and Dezenzo each drove in three runs.

Texas transfer and junior right-handed pitcher Jack Neely started on the mound to make his Ohio State debut, and allowed a leadoff single before redshirt-junior first baseman Kellen Sarver hit an RBI single to begin the scoring. An RBI double from McDonald and two-run single from Raper pushed the Illini lead to four at the end of the opening frame.

“That first inning was rough, turns out I was kind of tipping some pitches there in the first inning," Neely said. "Luckily, we caught that early and were able to shut that down. It completely turned around."

Junior RHP Ty Rybarczyk countered on the mound, and allowed seven-straight runners to reach base in the second inning after beginning with an out. Run-producing singles from Wilson and Bauer cut the lead to two before Dezenzo plated the former and junior third baseman Nick Erwin to tie the game.

"They put up a four-spot in the first inning, and our guys didn’t quit," Beals said.

Pohl added the go-ahead run with an RBI single before scoring on a wild pitch. Okuley, who struck out as the first batter of the inning, drove a two-run home run to right-center field for his first four-bagger of his Buckeye career. Ohio State sent 13 batters to the plate in the second inning and recorded seven hits.

After the rough first inning, Neely settled in and allowed just four baserunners over his next three innings of work. He finished with five hits allowed and four runs, walking two and hitting as many with one strikeout.

Freshman lefty Isaiah Coupet relieved Neely in the fifth to make his Buckeyes debut. Coupet allowed a double to Sarver, who later scored on McDonald’s groundout.

Dezenzo pushed another run across in the top of the sixth on an RBI single, and Pohl immediately followed with a two-run homer down the right field line. The fourth run of the inning came off the bat of junior left fielder Marcus Ernst, who hit an RBI single to score Kern, who reached on a single. The red-hot freshman Kern went 1-4 with a run scored and stolen base in Game 2.

After allowing an RBI single to sophomore left fielder Andrew Kim in the sixth, Coupet remained on the mound for the seventh, and struck out two to close the 12-6 win and sweep the doubleheader. He struck out four in 3 IP and allowed four hits, two runs and no walks.

"I’m excited with the fact we’re 3-0, and we can play better," Beals said. "Our guys know that. And that’s what our goal is tomorrow. We’re not 3-0; we got one ballgame tomorrow and we’re going to try to play better tomorrow than we’ve played yet."

The series finale between the two teams will begin at 10 a.m. Sunday, and Ohio State’s probable starting pitcher is junior RHP Will Pfenning. Illinois will counter with sophomore lefty Cole Kirschsieper.