March 19, 2007
BRADENTON, Fla.--For the second straight day, the Yale baseball team fell to a Big Ten opponent. The day after dropping a 17-5 decision to Illinois, the Bulldogs (5-8) were upended 11-3 by Ohio State (10-3) at Academy Park on Monday afternoon. It was Ohio State's eighth straight win and Yale's fourth straight loss.
The Buckeyes got in front early and never looked back. Taking advantage of a strong wind blowing to right field, Ohio State's mostly left-handed-hitting lineup plated two runs in both the first and second innings. That was more than starting pitcher Theron Minium needed. Minium (1-0), making his first collegiate start, was excellent in six innings of work, allowing just two runs and striking out seven.
Ohio State had a 6-0 lead when the Bulldogs finally broke through in the top of the sixth. Justin Ankney was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, moved to third on Marc Sawyer's double, and scored Yale's first run on a Ryan Lavarnway groundout. Pedro Obregon then laced an RBI double that made the score 6-2.
The Buckeyes batted around in the bottom of the sixth, tallying five more runs. After the first two batters walked, they were driven in by Cory Rupert's RBI single. Rupert later scored on a base hit by Eric Fryer. Matt Angle scored on an error, and Fryer came across on a wild pitch to finish off the scoring for Ohio State.
Yale tallied the last run of the contest in the top of the eighth. Lavarnway singled, then scored on Obregon's second RBI double of the game, a screaming line drive off the left-centerfield wall.
Obregon was 3-for-4 with the two RBI doubles. P.J. Gorynski was 2-for-5, and Sawyer added two hits. Chris Walsh (0-1) started on the mound for the Bulldogs and went three innings.
Rupert went 2-for-3 and drove in four runs for the Buckeyes. Angle, Jacob Howell and Jason Zoeller each tallied two Ohio State runs.
Yale and Ohio State meet again on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. The Bulldogs return to action tomorrow at 10 a.m., when they take on Jacksonville State.
Report filed by Joe Clifford, Yale Sports Publicity
