Eric Boggs
Ohio State baseball showed grit and offensive firepower over the weekend but came up short in a three-game series against USC, suffering a sweep despite multiple late-game leads and standout individual performances. The Buckeyes, now 8-20 on the season and 2-10 in Big Ten play, dropped the final game of the series in heartbreaking fashion, 10-9, on Sunday.
The finale featured explosive offense from both teams. Tyler Pettorini continued to solidify himself as the Buckeyes’ most dangerous hitter, blasting two home runs—including a 411-foot shot in the third inning—to bring his season total to a team-leading eight. After trailing 8-4 in the sixth, Ohio State mounted an impressive comeback. Reggie Bussey walked to lead off the inning, then scored on a Maddix Simpson double. Trey Lipsey and Lee Ellis reached to load the bases, setting the stage for Ryan Miller’s grand slam that electrified the dugout and gave Ohio State a 9-8 lead. Unfortunately, that momentum didn’t last. USC tied the game with a solo homer in the ninth and walked it off with an RBI single.
Pettorini led all Buckeye hitters with three hits and three RBIs on the day, while Miller drove in a team-high four runs. Simpson and Ellis each added two hits. Gavin Kuzniewski took the loss, allowing two runs over 1.2 innings of relief.
Saturday’s matchup was another back-and-forth battle that slipped away late. After trailing early, the Buckeyes took a 9-7 lead into the bottom of the eighth thanks to a three-run blast from Lipsey and a wild pitch that allowed Ellis to score. But USC responded with a five-run inning—highlighted by a two-run homer and RBI triple—that sealed the Trojans’ 12-9 win.
Lipsey had a standout day with three hits and four RBIs, while Mason Eckelman posted a career-high three hits. Simpson added two hits of his own. Blaine Wynk took the loss in relief, giving up three runs in just 0.2 innings.
Friday night’s opener began on a sour note, with USC jumping out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning. But the Buckeyes’ bullpen responded with seven straight shutout innings, giving the offense a chance to claw back. Eckelman knocked in two runs on a single in the fourth, and Nick Giamarusti’s aggressive base running helped push across another in the fifth to trim the deficit to 5-3. That score held until the end, despite late pressure from the Buckeye bats. Reggie Bussey was tagged out on a close play at first to end the game in the ninth.
Eckelman once again led the offense with two hits and two RBIs. On the mound, Drew Erdmann took the loss but was backed up by strong relief work—Nik Copenhaver struck out a career-high four, and Kuzniewski added three Ks over two innings.
While the losses sting, Ohio State fans can take pride in the team’s relentless energy and the development of young contributors like Pettorini, Lipsey, Simpson, and Miller. The lineup is proving it can generate runs against quality opponents. However, the bullpen and late-inning execution remain areas in need of improvement.
The Buckeyes look to rebound at home this week. They’ll host Kent State on Wednesday, April 9, at 6:00 p.m., before a three-game series against Minnesota from April 11–13 at Bill Davis Stadium. With Big Ten play in full swing, Ohio State has a crucial opportunity to gain ground and turn the tide on their season.
