March 28, 2008
Columbus, Ohio - Ohio State scored eight runs in the first inning and followed that up with three runs each in the second and third innings, all off Penn State starter Seth Whitehill, and the Buckeyes never looked back in a 15-0 win over the Nittany Lions in the Big Ten opener on Friday night. The Nittany Lions recorded just five hits in the game and although reliever David Lutz kept the Buckeyes out of both the runs and hits columns during his five-inning relief stint, Penn State was unable to push any runs across against Ohio State pitchers Jake Hale and Josh Edgin.
None of Ohio State's 10 hits in the first inning were very hard hit but they all just found holes just big enough to get through the infield or drop in front of an outfielder. The inning didn't begin badly as Whitehill struck out leadoff hitter Tony Kennedy on a nice breaking ball. But from there, he gave up four straight singles, the first two to left by Cory Kovanda and J.B. Shuck that were just out of the reach of Penn State infielders. The next two were by Justin Miller through the left side to load the bases and then a single up the middle by Ryan Meade to drive in two. After a fly out for the second out of the inning, the Buckeyes put together five more straight hits, a bloop double by Cory Rupert that dropped just inside the left field line, followed by a single up the middle by Ryan Drew to drive in two more runs. After a single to left by Tyler Engle, Kennedy, Kovanda and Shuck all singled to drive in one more run apiece before Whitehill finally ended the inning with a strikeout of Miller.
After retiring the first hitter of the inning against in the second, Whitehill gave up a string of four more straight hits with one out in the second. Three straight singles by Dan Burkhart, Rupert and Drew loaded the bases. One run scored on a wild pitch and then Engle doubled down the left field line just in front of left fielder Ryan Boonie.
In the third, Whitehill gave up a single on a comebacker to the mound off the bat of Shuck and then hit back-to-back hitters to load the bases. That ended his night and Lutz was brought in. He gave up a pair of singles and a bases-loaded walk around getting a fly out, a pop out and a ground out to end the inning with three more runs having crossed the plate.
Wes Borden reached base safely twice on Friday night. |
From that point forward, however, Lutz pitched the best he ever has during his Penn State career. After setting down the final two hitters in the third inning, he worked four straight 1-2-3 innings from the fourth through the seventh innings, retiring the side in order four straight times to give the Nittany Lions a quality relief performance and help save the bullpen for the remaining three games this weekend. All together, Lutz retired 14 straight hitters, the final 14 hitters he faced, and 15 of 18 hitters that he faced in his stint. He threw five scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and one walk. He also struck out one.
While Lutz kept the Buckeyes off the scoreboard in the middle and later innings, the Nittany Lions were unable to get anything going offensively against Ohio State starter Jake Hale, who allowed just two hits in his six innings of work. He walked two and struck out three and allowed just two runners to make it past first base.
Penn State's best chance to score came in the eighth as it loaded the bases as Wes Borden was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, Rob Yodice singled through the right side with one out, and Cory Wine drew a two-out walk on an 11-pitch plate appearance. But Brian Ernst grounded out to second to end the inning.
The Buckeyes added one more run in the ninth inning off reliever Scott Kelley, who came on in the ninth after Lutz's five-inning stint. The Nittany Lions put two runners on in the ninth but Edgin set down the side to preserve the shutout.
Notes: Blackburn was hit by a pitch for the first time in his career to lead off the second inning....Lutz threw a career high five innings in his relief appearance, topping his previous high of three innings....Boonie recorded a hit in the ninth inning to extend his hitting streak to four games after not having recorded a hit in his career up until four games ago.