Dawson's Eight RBI Guides Buckeyes to 20-7 win at Miami
Sophomore Ronnie Dawson posts double, grand slam, five runs scored and career-high eight RBI
May 5, 2015
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OXFORD, Ohio -- The Ohio State baseball team erupted for 20 runs off 16 hits in a 20-7 victory Tuesday evening at Miami at McKie Field in Oxford, Ohio. With the big offensive win, the Buckeyes improve to 32-13 overall, while the RedHawks fall to 11-35 in 2015. The Scarlet and Gray have won six straight road games and are now 10-0 in midweek contests.
"It was important for us to bounce back after the weekend and we did that tonight," head coach
Greg Beals said. "We put good swings on the bat and were patient at the plate. We got some big hits and made all the plays we needed to in the field. The bullpen was strong again to finish off the ball game."
Ronnie Dawson had a career day at the plate, going 4-for-6 with a double, grand slam and a career-high five runs scored and eight RBI vs. the RedHawks. It marked the most RBI in a single game by a Buckeye (since 2004).
Troy Montgomery was 3-for-5 with a double, home run, four runs scored and three RBI. Six different Buckeyes crossed the plate at least two times. In all, the RedHawks walked a school-record 13 batters in the contest.
Ohio State jumped out to a 1-0 lead when
Pat Porter picked up his team-best 35th RBI of the year with a sac fly in the top of the first. He scored
Troy Kuhn, who notched his first triple of the season off the bottom of the wall in left center vs. Miami starter Chris Ticherich. The Buckeyes added a second run in the top of the second on a RBI single to right center by
Craig Nennig.
The RedHawks made it a 2-1 contest in the bottom of the second when Scott Slappey lined a single up the middle to plate a run.
Troy Montgomery threw out a runner at third base to end the inning, but the run already scored.
Ohio State opened the game with five runs on two hits in the top of the third. Dawson had a RBI single to push the score to 3-1. The Miami pitching then lost control. Four walks with the bases loaded extended the lead to 7-1. Lefty Biran Thene walked in the final two runs after replacing Ticherich on the hill.
After Ohio State starter
Jacob Niggemeyer stranded two in the bottom of the third, the Buckeyes once again loaded the bases after a hit by pitch and two walks. Left-hander Ryan Markse then came into the game for the RedHawks. A RBI on a fielder's choice by
Tre' Gantt made it 8-1 in the top of the fourth.
Miami cut the lead to 8-4 with a three-run home run in the bottom of the fourth, but the OSU lead would extend to eight runs after a four-run, fifth inning for the Scarlet and Gray.
After the bases were loaded, Dawson blasted his first career grand slam with a screamer over the wall in center vs. Miami reliever Ryan Marske to push the score to 12-4. Right-hander John Monnig relieved Marske after the big fly by Dawson.
The RedHawks continued to battle at the plate and collected three runs in the bottom of the fifth highlighted by a two-run homer to right center off Niggemeyer.
Right-hander
Kyle Michalik relieved Niggemeyer in the sixth inning. After a one-out single and two-out single,
Michael Horejsei relieved Michalik and the OSU junior needed just one pitch to claim the final out of the sixth on a groundout. Horejsei pitched one inning and allowed on hit on one strikeout, while Michalik threw 0.2 innings on two hits and no runs.
Seth Kinker pitched one inning and struck out three batters.
John Havird tossed the final 1.1 frames and allowed no runs with three strikeouts.
Montgomery belted his fourth home run of the year in the top of the eighth to give the Buckeyes a 16-7 advantage. A sac fly by Sergakis scored the team's 17th run. Ohio State added three more runs on a double by Dawson, fielding error and sac fly in the ninth.
Niggemeyer received the win to improve to 4-0, throwing five innings on nine hits, seven runs and four strikeouts.
The Buckeyes travel to play Cincinnati at 6 p.m. ET Wednesday at Marge Schott Stadium.
GAME NOTES
- Ronnie Dawson posted his first career grand slam and had a career-best five runs scored and eight RBI.
- Troy Kuhn collected his first triple of the season and second of his career.
- Troy Montgomery extended his reached base streak to 22 consecutive games with a single in the top of the third. Montgomery tied his career-high with four runs scored.
- Pat Porter extended his reached base streak to 25-consecutive contests with a walk in the fifth.
- Tre' Gantt posted his fourth multi-RBI game of the year, while L Grant Davis had his fifth multi-hit game of 2015.
- The OSU bullpen has allowed just one earned run in the last 11 games.
http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/sports/m-basebl/recaps/050515aaa.html
