Northwestern wrapup
Ohio State Pitches 9-0 Shutout of No. 2 Seed Northwestern
Bourquin gets three hits to pull within two of Buckeye season record
Cory Luebke out-dueled
Northwestern's Dan Brauer,
the Big Ten Pitcher of the
Year, allowing three hits
over eight innings in combining
with Rory Meister for the shutout.
May 25, 2006
Box Score
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Ohio State third baseman and Big Ten Player of the Year
Ronnie Bourquin won the battle with Northwestern starting pitcher Dan Brauer, the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year, as the Buckeyes downed the Wildcats 9-0 in the second round of the Big Ten tournament Thursday afternoon at Ray Fisher Stadium.
Bourquin was a perfect 3-for-3 and scored three times. The junior from Canton, Ohio (Canton South) reached base in all five plate appearances. He was hit by pitch in the first, singled in the second and seventh, doubled in the fifth and was walked in the ninth. Bourquin now has 90 hits this season, two within the Ohio State season record set two seasons ago by
Steve Caravati, the 2004 Big Ten Player of the Year.
Brauer pitched eight innings and gave up six runs (three earned) on 10 hits while walking two runners without a strikeout. Brauer was 7-0 in the Big Ten and 7-1 overall to edge Ohio State's
Dan DeLucia (Jr., Columbus, Ohio/Bishop Watterson), who finished 10-2 and 7-1 in the Big Ten, for the conference's top postseason award. Northwestern and Ohio State did not meet during the regular season. Brauer fell to 7-2 overall. Three Northwestern pitchers threw in the ninth.
Cory Luebke (So., Maria Stein, Ohio/Marion Local) picked up the win for Ohio State. He allowed only three hits, walked one and struck out six while combining for the shutout. Luebke tossed 112 pitches in his 8.0-inning start to improve to 7-6 on the year.
Rory Meister (So., Mansfield, Ohio/Mansfield Madison) kept the Wildcats off the scoreboard despite allowing a hit. The shout was the fifth this season by the Ohio State pitching staff, which came into the tournament with the league's best team ERA.
Five of the 12 Buckeye hits were for extra bases, including a solo home run by
Eric Fryer (So., Reynoldsburg, Ohio/Reynoldsburg) in the third and a three-run home run by
Jedidiah Stephen (Sr., Caldwell, Ohio/Shenandoah) in the top of the ninth.
Ohio State capitalized on a lead-off walk by
Michael Arp (Fr., Reynoldsburg, Ohio/Reynoldsburg) to start the game. He was bunt over on a sacrifice by
Matt Angle (So., Whitehall, Ohio/Whitehall-Yearling), who was able to reach when catcher Geoff Dietz could not pick up the ball in time to retire Angle at first. After that error, Fryer sacrificed himself to send Arp and Angle into scoring position before Bourquin drew a walk to load the bases for
Adam Schneider (Jr., Agoura Hills, Calif./Agoura). The Buckeye designated hitter skied a shot to right to score Arp for an early 1-0 lead. A fielder's choice ended the inning.
The Buckeyes took a 3-0 lead in the third inning. Fryer led off the inning with a home run into the wind in left field. It was his fifth home run of the season. Bourquin, the Big Ten's leading batter, shocked the crowd and the Northwestern third baseman when he bunted for a base hit down the third-base line. He was erased on a fielder's choice by Schneider. A fielding error by third baseman Caleb Fields let a ball off the bat of Stephen get into left field to put Schneider at second.
Wes Schirtzinger (Jr., Westerville, Ohio/Westerville North) sent a ball to left, but instead of it being the final out of the game, leftfielder Anthony Wycklendt dropped the ball and Schneider was able to cross the plate.
Bourquin's lead-off double in the fifth produced another run to give Ohio State a 4-0 lead. Bourquin moved over to third on a ground out by Schneider and then scored on a passed ball on Dietz, the Wildcat catcher. It was the third unearned run of the day on the Northwestern defense and starter Dan Brauer.
Bourquin singled up the middle with two away in the seventh for his third hit of the game. Schneider drove him in with a shot to the gap in left-center field and then scored on a singe to center by Stephen that gave the Buckeyes a 6-0 lead.
Stephen launched his ninth home run of the season and the 27th of his career with two on and one out in the ninth inning to give the Buckeyes a 9-0 lead. Fryer and Bourquin each drew walks to start the inning.
The Northwestern offense never really threatened in the game, stranding six base runners, none of which got past first base.
The Scarlet and Gray picked up its second win of the tournament and moves on to meet the winner of the game between No. 1 seed Michigan and No. 4 seed Minnesota, which was rescheduled for Friday at 10 a.m. after rain prevented the teams from playing Thursday night. Four games will be played in the tournament on Friday beginning at 10 a.m., continuing at 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.
. GO BUCKS!
