OSU can't hold leads in two losses
March 19, 2000 | Baseball
March 19, 2000
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Oregon State lost late-inning leads in both games and was beaten by Central Michigan 4-3 in eight innings and Ohio State 8-3 on Sunday in the Continental Express Classic baseball tournament. The Beavers (11-10 overall, 0-0 Pacific-10) conclude the tourney Monday against Central Michigan at 11 a.m. PST and host Texas A&M at 2 p.m. PST.
"It wasn't a lack of effort on our part, but sometimes you've just got to go out there and get thing done," said OSU head coach Pat Casey, whose team played a rain-delayed night game on Saturday and then had to be back on the field for a morning game against CMU. "We hit some balls on the button but right at people. Things didn't go our way Sunday, and now the kids have got to find out what they're made of and come out and play on Monday."
In Sunday's tourney games, both slated for seven innings, OSU led Central Michigan (9-5, 0-0 Mid-America) by a 3-1 score going into the bottom of the sixth and was in front of Ohio State (11-4, 0-0 Big Ten) 3-0 going into the top of the sixth. But the Chippewas tied the game in the sixth inning and won it with a run in the eighth in the morning, in the afternoon game, the Buckeyes scored six times in the top of the sixth inning to take control.
After strong starting pitching performances from junior righthander Thad Johnson against Central Michigan and sophomore rigthy Nick Renault against Ohio State, the Oregon State bullpen gave up a total of nine runs in 4 2/3 innings on the day. The Beavers also made several mental mistakes in the field that helped Ohio State to its six-run inning.
OSU was without the pitching services of sophomore righthanded reliever Stephen Copeland, who was playing second base due to injuries that have sidelined infielders Will Hudson and Brian Barden for the tourney.
"We can't do some things right now the way we could if the club was in a no-injury situation," Casey said. "And when we're in the situation that we're in right now, we can't go out there and play just five or six innings. We've got to continue to execute for an entire game, and we didn't do that in these two games."
The Beavers managed just five hits against Central Michigan and seven against Ohio State, and Oregon State stranded four runners in scoring position against the Buckeyes in the first three innings. Josh Carter did go 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles against CMU and Zach Gordon was 2-for-3 against Ohio State.
After going hitless for two games, Joe Gerber homered to lead off the bottom of the third inning against Ohio State. It was Gerber's 27th career homer, tying him for second place on OSU's all-time list with Bob McNair (1978-80) and Jim Wilson (1980-82), Gerber needs one more to tie the career record held by Al Hunsinger (1980-81).
CENTRAL MICHIGAN 4, OREGON STATE 3 (8 INNINGS)
Oregon State 010 020 00 - 3 5 0 Central Michigan 010 002 01 - 4 9 0Johnson, Atwood (6), Hays (7), Renault (8) and Biles, Ingram (6). Pleiness, Zastrow (8) and Pickens, Gragg (6). WP-Zastrow (1-0). LP-Hays (1-1). 2B-Biles (OSU), Carter 2 (OSU), Uzarski (CMU), Bullinger (CMU). HR-Pieratt (CMU).
HITS: Oregon State 5 (Biles 1x3, Carter 2x4, Dryden 1x2, Copeland 1x3), Central Michigan 9 (Pieratt 1x4, Sanborn 2x4, Galloway 1x1, Uzarski 2x2, Gates 1x3, Bullinger 1x2, Helps 1x3). RUNS BATTED IN: Oregon State 2 (Biles 2), Central Michigan 4 (Pieratt 1, Uzarski 1, Gates 1, Helps 1).
OHIO STATE 8, OREGON STATE 3
Ohio State 000 006 2 - 8 13 0 Oregon State 021 000 0 - 3 7 1Steen and Alvord. Renault, Hays (6), Atwood (6), Wray (7), McLemore (7) and Ingram. WP-Steen (4-0). LP-Hays (1-2). 2B-Ehrnsberger (OhSU), Turner (OhSU), McIlvain (OhSU). HR-Gerber (OrSU).
HITS: Ohio State 13 (Check 2x4, Mayor 1x4, Ehrnsberger 2x4, Turner 4x4, Swisher 1x3, Garofalo 1x1, McIlvain 2x3), Oregon State 7 (Ingram 1x3, Gerber 1x4, Carter 1x3, Dryden 1x2, Gordon 2x3, Stark 1x3). RUNS BATTED IN: Ohio State 8 (Check 1, Ehrnsberger 1, Swisher 2, Palazzo 1, McIlvain 3), Oregon State 3 (Gerber 1, Gordon 1, Stark 1).
