JACKSONVILLE, FL – Ohio State starting pitcher Cory Luebke allowed just one run and scattered five hits in seven innings on the hill as the UNC Greensboro baseball team fell 12-2 to Ohio State Friday afternoon at North Florida’s Harmon Stadium in Jacksonville.
UNCG (2-7) jumped out to an early 1-0 lead after the Spartans scored a run in the bottom of the first without the luxury of a hit. Greg Feltes led off with a walk and advanced to second base on a pass ball. After Jermaine Mitchell moved Feltes to third on an infield groundout, Feltes scampered home on a second pass ball charged to Ohio State catcher Eric Fryer.
Ohio State (2-2) tied the game in the visiting half of the third inning as the Buckeyes put together a pair of hits with two outs. Third baseman Ronnie Bourquin reached base with his first career triple and designated hitter Adam Schneider drove him home with a single through the left side.
The Buckeyes extended their lead to 3-1 after the top of the fourth of a pair of walks with the bases loaded. Two innings later, Ohio State tacked on two more runs to take a 5-1 lead after five and a half innings. Jacob Howell and Eric Fryer reached on back to back errors on the Spartan infield, leaving runners at first and second with nobody out. After Fryer swiped second base, Schneider collected his second RBI of the game with a sacrifice fly to centerfield. J.B. Shuck capped the inning for the visitors with a single on the infield.
In the top of the eighth inning Ohio State exploded for seven runs and broke the game wide open as the Buckeyes held a 12-1 advantage after the frame. UNCG committed two costly errors and a wild pitch in the inning that led to four unearned runs. The Spartans finished the game with a total of six errors.
Guy Welsh picked up the Spartans’ second run of the game in the eighth inning as the Tucson, AZ native collected his team-leading ninth RBI of the season. Freshman Shane Thompson led off the inning with a single to leftfield in his first career at-bat as a Spartan and Mitchell followed with a single of his own to left before Welsh laced a single to center.
UNCG starter Wes McCall (0-2) took the loss after allowing three runs on six hits in 3-2/3 innings on the hill.
Sophomore Mike Mongiello paced UNCG at the plate as the East Setauket, NY product was 2-for-3 at the dish.
UNCG returns to the diamond Saturday afternoon when the Spartans take on Western Michigan at 1 p.m. from Harmon Stadium.
AGATE:
Ohio State 12, UNC Greensboro 2 (Mar 03, 2006 at Jacksonville,
FL)
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Ohio State.......... 001 202 070 - 12 14
1 (2-2)
UNC Greensboro...... 100 000 010 - 2 8
6 (2-7)
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Pitchers: Ohio State - Cory Luebke; Dan Barker(8); Rory Meister(9).
UNC Greensboro -
Wes McCall; Clinton McKinney(4); Greg Martin(6); Jonathan
Nichols(7); Clay Gibson(8);
Patrick Currin(8); Greg Matson(8).
Win-Cory Luebke(1-1) Loss-Wes McCall(0-2) T-3:00
A-200
Gibson faced 3 batters in the 8th.
- UNCG -