COLUMBUS, Ohio -- It may not be expected that the bottom of a batting order produces seven runs in a ballgame, but that’s exactly what the Terrapins did to terrorize the Buckeyes on Monday.
Ohio State (8-7) split its two-game mini series with Maryland (6-9) after dropping a 9-3 ballgame in which the Terrapins stole nine total bases and scored eight runs between the fifth and seventh innings.
“We got beat badly on the free bases, and stolen bases are part of free bases,” head coach Greg Beals said. “Our walks, hit batsmen, free bases, we had two errors on defense. We got beat badly on the free-base game. We got to do a better job holding runners. We’ve just got to do a better job of it; we got a system in place and we got to do a better job executing that system.”
The Buckeyes were tasked with cooling down red-hot Maryland freshman righty Jason Savacool, who tossed two complete games in his first three collegiate starts this season, paving the way to two Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors.
After running into trouble early, Savacool settled and retired his last six batters to help himself to his fourth win of the season. Savacool allowed five hits - all before getting the first out of the third inning - and three runs. He added five strikeouts while walking three, but also had two wild pitches and a walk to his line.
Freshman center fielder Kade Kern and sophomore right fielder Mitchell Okuley each had multi-hit games for Ohio State while redshirt-senior first baseman Conner Pohl homered and drove in two runs.
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Seven batters went to the plate in the bottom half of the first against Savacool, and Okuley started it with a leadoff double before scoring on a fielder’s choice during redshirt-senior first baseman Conner Pohl’s at-bat. Pohl later scored on a wild pitch, capping a two-run first inning on as many hits.
Maryland got one run back in the top of the third via solo home run from No. 9 hitter senior second baseman Tommy Gardiner. Pohl took a page from the Terrapins’ book and blasted a solo shot in the bottom half of the inning as well, a no-doubt club over the right-field wall to set the Buckeyes lead at 3-1.
“We kind of knew what he was doing. He was kind of going offspeed early, trying to be late with the fastball to kind of surprise you,” Pohl said of Savacool during his home run at-bat. “I was just trying to stick to the approach, just trying to sting it a little if I could. Ended up catching it out front, pulling it down the line. That felt good.”
Two innings later, Maryland’s No. 8 hitter sophomore designated hitter Bobby Zmarzlak tied the game with a loud two-run homer to left field, clearing the wall with plenty of room underneath.
The Terrapins didn’t stop there. The next three batters reached on a walk and two hits, including a two-run single from senior right fielder Randy Bednar to give Maryland its first 5-3 lead of the day. Bednar also swiped two bases after reaching as Maryland totaled three in the inning, and the outfielder finished with four on the day.
Ohio State turned to its bullpen for the sixth and seventh innings, and each of freshman RHP Nate Haberthier and junior LHP Mitch Milheim were tagged for two-run singles in each frame. Neither walked a batter and each had at least two strikeouts on two hits allowed.
Maryland No. 7 hitter and junior shortstop Benjamin Cowles reached base four times with a pair of hits and another pair of walks. He also drove in two runs, helping the Terrapins’ No. 7-9 hitters go 5-11 with seven RBIs, five runs scored, four walks and two homers.
“They came out and they responded, and then we didn’t respond back," Pohl said. "That’s basically all there is to that."
Terrapins sophomore lefty Ryan Ramsey tossed a four-inning save, keeping the Buckeyes at bay for the most part. Kern and junior pinch-hitter Nolan Clegg knocked back-to-back singles with one out in the eighth, but Ramsey got two popouts to end the threat. Ramsey struck out three and got six flyouts versus two groundouts after coming on in relief.
Buckeyes junior starting pitcher Will Pfennig had cruised through the Maryland order through the first four innings, allowing just one hit. However, Pfennig allowed four Terrapins to reach with one out in the fifth, which translated to two runs to give his bullpen a 3-3 game upon his exit.
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Five relievers were used out of Ohio State’s bullpen. Redshirt-freshmen RHPs Wyatt Loncar and Ethan Hammerberg threw scoreless eighth and ninth innings, respectively, and allowed just one hit and struck out three while the latter walked two.
“I think we are swinging at pitches out of the zone too much, myself included, everybody is," Pohl said. "I think we’re just getting a little jumpy and wanted to try to push a little bit. I think if we just stay tight and stick to our approach, we’ll be fine."
Ohio State will stay home and welcome Indiana for four games beginning Friday at 4:05 p.m.
