Baseball: Buckeyes begins Mosiello era with split against UConn at Snowbird Classic

Tyler Danburg
Tue, 21 Feb 2023 02:20:59 +0000
Baseball, Instagram Page, News, Sports, Alonzo Paul Jr., Andrew Jones, Andrew See, baseball, Bill Mosiello, Blayne Robinson, Buck Taylor, Buckeyes, Caden Kaiser, Cole Andrews, Cole Pauley, college baseball, Damon Lessler, Drew Bachman, Gavin Bruni, George Eisenhardt, Hank Thomas, Henry Kaczmar, Hunter Rosson, Isaiah Coupet, Jacob Gehring, Jake Johnson, Jameson Campbell, Jaylen Jones, Joey Aden, Jonah Jenkins, Josh McAlister, Josh Timmerman [and 25 more]

Ohio State baseball picked up two wins and two losses against UConn this weekend. Credit: Zachary Rilley | Photo Editor

The Bill Mosiello era for Buckeye baseball is here.

Ohio State split its season-opening series against Big East favorite UConn over the weekend in Florida, taking the series opener 3-0 and the finale 10-5 to win two of the first four games with Mosiello at the helm.

After missing every game but the season opener last year, senior infielder Nick Erwin made a memorable return to the diamond this weekend. Erwin paced the offense going 7-for-13 with one home run and six RBIs, while graduate infielder Marcus Ernst drove in four runs and junior center fielder Kade Kern brought home three.

UConn won game two 9-6 and game three 8-6, flashing power all throughout the series with six home runs as a team. Huskies junior outfielder Korey Morton, who hit one of those home runs and went 4-for-15 with six RBIs, led the team at the plate and reached base in every game of the series.

The series saw plenty of offense and a variety of arms on the mound. Both teams combined for 47 runs and 65 hits, while 26 different pitchers got the chance to see the mound.

Game 1

Ohio State started the Mosiello era strong with a 3-0 shutout of UConn in a low-scoring pitcher’s duel.

In the bottom of the first inning, Miami (Ohio) transfer and graduate catcher Cole Andrews gave Ohio State the early lead with a one-run single, and the Buckeyes did not look back.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, freshman shortstop Henry Kaczmar broke the game open with a two-run double off UConn sophomore starter Ian Cooke for his second hit of the day. Kaczmar finished his first-career series with four hits and three RBIs.

Junior left-hander Isaiah Coupet twirled a gem in his second-career opening day start. Coupet struck out nine batters and gave up just one hit in six shutout innings, taking a no-hitter into the top of the sixth.

After a shutout seventh inning from sophomore right-hander Jacob Gehring, freshman left-hander Landon Beidelschies finished the job with a six-out save, striking out graduates utility player Dominic Freeberger to end the eighth and infielder Luke Broadhurst to end the game.

Coupet earned the win for Ohio State and Cooke, the Preseason Big East Pitcher of the Year, picked up the loss. The two combined for just three runs, two walks and 17 strikeouts.

Erwin led the way at the plate going 3-for-4, while Big East preseason favorite UConn was held to just four hits as a team.

Game 2

UConn’s bats woke up in the second game of the series. After being silenced for just three hits on opening day, the Huskies notched nine and took down Ohio State 9-6.

The Huskies were led by Freeberger and Morton, who both hit a home run and drove in four runs. Freeberger took Ohio State starter Justin Eckhardt deep in the top of the fifth, while Morton hit a two-run shot off sophomore right-hander George Eisenhardt in the top of the seventh.

Ohio State fought back, scoring four runs in the bottom of the seventh to trail 8-6. Senior outfielder Mitchell Okuley, freshman catcher Matthew Graveline and Erwin all drove in runs, with the fourth of the run inning coming on an error by UConn redshirt junior second baseman David Smith.

After Ohio State’s four-run seventh inning, UConn graduate right-hander Devin Kirby closed out the game, pitching three hitless innings for the Huskies’ first win of the season.

UConn sophomore right-hander Jack Sullivan was the winning pitcher while Eckhardt was the losing pitcher in his first start since transferring from Texas. Both starters went over five innings, with Sullivan going an extra third of an inning.

Game 3

The Huskies continued their response to the opening day loss with an 8-6 win over Ohio State, scoring 17 runs over the second and third games of the series.

UConn set the tone early with two home runs in the first two innings, one from graduate first baseman Ben Huber and the other from freshman designated hitter Maddix Dalena in his first college at-bat.

The Buckeyes answered back with two runs in the fourth and four in the sixth, taking their first lead of the game on a two-run single by Erwin for his fourth and fifth RBIs of the series.

With redshirt sophomore right-hander Tim Baird on to try and preserve the lead in the seventh for Ohio State, the Huskies regained the lead and outscored the Buckeyes 4-1 over the last three innings to win their second-straight game.

The penultimate game of the series featured plenty of offense, with both teams totaling a combined 14 runs and 17 hits. UConn and Ohio State also emptied the bullpens, with the Buckeyes throwing eight pitchers and the Huskies using seven.

Game 4

In the series finale Monday morning, Ohio State exploded with seven-unanswered runs en route to a 10-5 victory to split the series with the Huskies. All 10 Buckeyes that made a plate appearance racked up a hit.

UConn jumped out to an early first-inning lead after home runs from Smith and Huber, his second of the series. Ohio State responded with a three-run third inning and the game was tied going into the fifth inning.

The bottom of the fifth was the turning point for Ohio State, loading the bases for the second-straight inning. After leaving bases juiced in the fourth, Erwin walked in a run, Graveline roped a two-run double and two runs scored on a fielder’s choice to second base.

Ohio State’s offense drove in 10 runs on 13 hits, going 6-for-12 with runners in scoring position. The pitching staff held the strong UConn offense to just two runs over the final four innings, anchored by graduate right-hander Jonah Jenkins who gave up just one hit over 4 2/3 innings.

Jenkins got the win, his first as a Buckeye and fifth of his career, while UConn sophomore left-hander Braden Quinn picked up the loss.

Ohio State travels to Phoenix for four games versus Grand Canyon and Gonzaga, alternating opponents beginning with the Antelopes Thursday at 8 p.m.