Baseball Cruises Past Cincinnati 17-0
May 7, 2003
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Drew Anderson (So., Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) accounted for two of the four Ohio State home runs as the Buckeyes easily got past Cincinnati 17-0 Wednesday night at Bill Davis Stadium. The three-hit shutout was the fifth straight pitched by the Buckeyes in home Wednesday night games and a school-record ninth shutout the season. In the last five of six hump-day games, Ohio State has outscored its opponents 48-0 and has held visitors scoreless in the last 45 innings in those contests. In all six Wednesday night home games, the Buckeyes have a scoring margin of 50-1 against their visiting opponents. Joining Anderson in going deep were Christian Snavely (Jr., Defiance, Ohio/Defiance) and Paul Farinacci (So., Westlake Village, Calif./Agoura). Snavely had a three-run shot off the top of the scoreboard in the third that capped a six-run inning. It was his ninth of the season and the 27th of his career. Farinacci led off that inning with a shot to left-center field. The game was the second this season in which Ohio State had four home runs and the second time this season that a Buckeye homered twice in the same game. Derek Kinnear (Jr., Kenton, Ohio/Kenton) provided two home runs in the seventh and eighth innings of a 5-3 victory over Detroit on March 16. The Buckeyes wasted little time putting runs on the board against the Bearcats, scoring four runs in the bottom of the first inning, all with two outs. Mike Rabin (So., West Chester, Ohio/Lakota East) drew a one-out walk and then moved to second on a ground out by Snavely. Steve Caravati (So., Dover, Ohio/Dover) singled through the left side to score the speedy Rabin from second for the first run of the game. After Caravati stole second, Farinacci singled down the left-field line to score the Buckeye designated hitter. Cody Caughenbaugh (Fr., Newark, Ohio/Licking Valley) walked and then scored with Farinacci on a double to left-center field by Jedidiah Stephen (Fr., Caldwell, Ohio/Shenandoah) to give the Buckeyes a 4-0 lead. In the third inning, Anderson launched his sixth home run of the season over the fence in left field to give the Buckeyes a 5-0 lead. Ohio State erupted for six runs in the third inning started by a lead-off home run by Farinacci, who teed off to left-center field for his fourth home run this season. The Buckeyes added four more hits in the inning. Kelly Houser (Fr., New Holland, Ohio/Adena) singled through the left side to score Brett Garrard (Jr., Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg), who singled down the left field line. After a walk by Anderson and a fielder's choice by Rabin, Snavely, who was celebrating his 21st birthday Wednesday, went long off the top of the scoreboard in right-center field to stretch the Buckeye lead to 11-0. In the fifth inning, the Buckeyes added another five runs on seven hits - six singles and one double - to increase its lead to 16-0. Houser started the inning with a single through the left side. After the first out of the inning, Ohio State rattled off five singles, including RBI shots by Snavely, Farinacci and Caughenbaugh, before a two-RBI double by pinch hitter Terry Pettorini (Jr., Wooster, Ohio/Wooster). Anderson added the Buckeyes final run with a shot to left-center field. It was his second home run of the day and his seventh of the season. It was the first time he had two home runs in the same game. In all, 15 Buckeye players had a plate appearance and all but six scored, while all but four had a hit as the Buckeyes cranked out a season-high 17 runs on 19 hits. Snavely finished the game 3-for-5 with four RBI and two runs scored. Farinacci also had three hits in four at bats for three RBI and three runs. Buckeye pitching allowed just three Cincinnati hits, all singles. Jon DeLuca singled in the first. Mark Muscenti singled in the sixth and Drew Saylor singled in the eighth and advanced to second, the farthest of any Bearcat baserunner, on a wild pitch. Mike Madsen (So., Chesterland, Ohio/Notre Dame Cathedral Latin) picked up the win in his third start and 14th appearance of the season. He went five innings, allowed one hit, struck out five and walked one in improving to 5-1 on the year. Cincinnati starter Justin Minges fell to 1-1 with the loss. Trent Luyster (So., Flushing, Ohio/Harrison Central) and Justin Myers (Scottown, Ohio/Symmes Valley) each pitched two innings. Ohio State, now 31-15 on the season and 15-9 in the Big Ten, will play host to Michigan State in the final home conference series of the season this weekend. The teams will play at 6:35 p.m. Friday and then play a doubleheader Saturday at 4:05 p.m. The series concludes Sunday at 1:05 p.m. WOSU Radio (820 AM) will broadcast the first, second and fourth game of the series, while ONN-TV will televise Saturday's first game. Between games Saturday, Ohio State will retire the jersey of former pitcher Steve Arlin (1965-66). |