From the Official Site
Stephen's Home Run Propels Ohio State Past Eastern Michigan, 5-2
Shortstop's long ball his seventh of the season, 25th of his career
Jedidiah Stephen launched
his 25th career home run
to help lead the Buckeyes
to a 5-2 win vs. Eastern Michigan.
May 3, 2006
Box Score
COLUMBUS, Ohio - After Eastern Michigan pulled within one run in the top of the seventh inning,
Jedidiah Stephen launched a two-run home run to left field in the bottom of the inning to give the Buckeyes a 5-2 victory over the Eagles Wednesday in front of 1,416 at Bill Davis Stadium.
Reliever Dan Puls walked
Eric Fryer (So., Reynoldsburg, Ohio/Reynoldsburg) to start the Ohio State seventh and then came back to strike out
Ronnie Bourquin (Jr., Canton, Ohio/Canton South). Matt Shoemaker came in to face Stephen, a senior from Caldwell, Ohio (Shenandoah), and then with a 1-0 count, Stephen sent the ball over the left-field fence to score two insurance runs. It was his team-best seventh home run of the season and was the 25th of his career, which ranks 18th in school history.
More importantly, it gave the Buckeyes their 28th victory, the most overall wins by a Big Ten team.
Eastern Michigan used back-to-back two-out doubles to score it first run in the top of the second inning. Matt Moffett doubled down the right-field line and then scored on a double just left of center by Trumaine Riley.
The Buckeyes took a 2-1 lead on a two-run single by
Michael Arp (Fr., Reynoldsburg, Ohio/Reynoldsburg) in the bottom of the fourth inning. Bourquin extended his hit streak to 12 games with a lead off single to left-center field.
Jason Zoeller (Jr., Verona, Pa./Shady Side Academy) followed with a one-out single to center and
Justin Miller (Fr., Dayton, Ohio/Turner Ashby) drew a walk to load the bases for Arp, who knocked in his first runs as a Buckeye. Miller scored on a fielder's choice by
Josh Hula (Fr., Castalia, Ohio/Margaretta) to take a 3-1 lead.
Eastern Michigan added a run in the seventh to pull within one run, 3-2. Aaron Powell led off the inning with a hit to center and then Moffett followed with a single through the right side. Barrera got Riley looking at strike three and Fryer threw down to third to nab Powell on the steal attempt. Moffett moved up to second on the play. He went to third on a single to right by Jeff Davis and then scored on a single to center by Josh Ivan.
Arp and Stephen each led the Buckeyes with two RBI, though Fryer and Zoeller each had to hits to pace Ohio State's nine-hit offense. Hula was responsible for driving in the other run on a fielder's choice. Moffett had two of Eastern Michigan's eight hits.
It was one of the strangest games in terms of pitching. Making his 68th career appearance,
Trey Fausnaugh (Jr., Circleville, Ohio/Westfall) started his first game as a Buckeye. He went four innings in a pre-determined abbreviated start to get his first win of the season (1-0). He allowed one run on three hits with a pair of strikeouts. Ohio State also pitched
Rory Meister (So., Mansfield, Ohio/Mansfield Madison),
Josh Barrera (Fr., Somerset, Ohio/Sheridan) and the Buckeyes' ace
Dan DeLucia (Jr., Columbus, Ohio/Bishop Watterson), who made his first relief appearance since April 2004, a span of 32 starts.
Dan Barker (So., Dayton, Ohio/Northmont) pitched the ninth and did not allow a hit to earn his first career save.
Eastern Michigan countered with seven pitchers of its own, but it was staring pitcher Matt Dillard, who took the loss. He pitched 3.2 innings and allowed three runs on six hits to fall to 3-3 on the year. Only two pitchers toss more than one inning.
Ohio State (28-14 overall, 12-8 in the Big Ten) resumes conference play this weekend in a four-game series at Michigan State. All four games will be played at Oldsmobile Park in Lansing, Mich. The series gets underway with a single game Friday at 2:05 p.m. and continues Saturday with a doubleheader at 5:05 p.m. before concluding Sunday with a single game at 1:05 p.m. Games two, three and four will be broadcast on AM 920 WMNI and on ohiostatebuckeyes.com.
