COLUMBUS, Ohio – Tanner Tully threw eight strong innings for Ohio State on Friday night, as homestanding Ohio State was able to hold off Bethune-Cookman, 6-2 in non-conference baseball action at Bill Davis Stadium.
Both starting pitchers were as advertised early-on in the series-opening contest.
Tanner Tully, a left-hander for the Buckeyes, kept the Wildcats off-balance for most of the evening, setting the stage for Ohio State (17-7-1) to end a pitcher's duel late in the game. Bethune-Cookman was unable to get a hit off Tully until the fourth inning.
On the other side, Bethune-Cookman (11-16) right-hander German Hernandez kept the Wildcats within striking distance of the Buckeyes much of the way, until a seventh inning push by Ohio State ended the B-CU comeback attempt. Hernandez allowed just a single Buckeyes hit through the first four frames.
In the fifth inning, the Buckeyes finally solved Hernandez, plating three runs to break the scoreless contest.
OSU shortstop Craig Nennig singled to left, driving in catcher Jalen Washington who stood on second base. That was followed moments later by centerfielder Troy Montgomery's run-scoring double down the left field line, pushing across Nennig. The final run of the inning for the Buckeyes was plated on a throwing error, as Montgomery stole third base and scored on Clay Middleton's attempt to cut down Montgomery. Instead, the ball got past Wildcats' third baseman Trent Nash, allowing Montgomery to come in on the play.
Bethune-Cookman would answer with a pair of runs in the top-half of the sixth inning.
Rakeem Quinn began things off with a bunt single, followed by second baseman Jameel Edney's RBI double down the line in left, allowing the speedy Quinn to score from first. Edney came across a batter later via designated hitter Michael Cruz's run-scoring single shot back up the middle.
The Wildcats trailed 3-2 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning.
Designated hitter Brady Cherry reached to start the Buckeyes at-bat on one of three (3) B-CU errors in the contest. Following a sacrifice bunt from Nennig, B-CU reliever Joseph Calamita toed the rubber in place of the starter Hernandez, with runners on second and third and just one out.
Pinch runner Jake Brobst scored on the next play as B-CU was charged with its second error of the inning, allowing Montgomery to reach safely in his at-bat. OSU second baseman L. Grant Davis would later score on a balk from Calamita, pushing the Ohio State lead up to 5-2.
The Buckeyes plated their final run of the game in the home-half of the eighth inning, as Washington crossed third baseman Nick Sergakis on a single to left field, leading to the final 6-2 decision.
Tully grabbed the win for the Buckeyes, working eight innings, allowing two runs on eight hits and adding three strikeouts against a single walk. He upped his record to 4-1 on the year with the victory.
The loss went to Hernandez, falling to 3-2 on the year. Hernandez allowed five runs (three earned) on six hits, one walk and four strikeouts in 6.1 innings of work.
The B-CU offense was sparked by Quinn and Edney with three hits apiece. For Quinn, it was his team-high matching ninth multi-hit game of the year. Cruz also added a pair of hits for the Maroon and Gold.
The series continues Saturday, April 2, back at Bill Davis Stadium at 3 p.m. B-CU sophomore right-hander Tyler Norris (3-1, 5.53 ERA) is set to take the hill against Ohio State right-hander Adam Niemeyer (2-1, 3.41 ERA).
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