PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. - Ohio State scored in each of its last four at-bats, pulling away from South Dakota State for a 10-2 victory in non-conference baseball action Friday afternoon.
The Buckeyes improved to 2-2 overall, while South Dakota State dropped to 2-1 on the season. The Jackrabbits are scheduled to play St. Bonaventure (N.Y.) at 11 a.m. Eastern Time (10 a.m. Central) Saturday, followed by another matchup with Ohio State at 2:30 p.m. ET.
SDSU broke into the scoring column first, posting a pair of runs in the top of the fourth inning. Andrew Melton and Jake Ratz hit back-to-back one-out doubles and Daniel Marra followed two batters later with a two-bagger to the left-center gap.
Ratz went 3-for-4, while Marra notched two hits in four trips to the plate to pace the Jackrabbits' eight-hit effort.
Jackrabbit starting pitcher Layne Somsen kept Ohio State off the board until the fifth inning, when the Buckeyes used an SDSU error to knot the game at 2-all. Ryan Cypret scored the first run on a wild pitch and Brad Hallberg plated Joe Ciamacco with the tying run on a sacrifice fly.
The Buckeyes again took advantage of a Jackrabbit error to take the lead in the sixth. Patrick Porter opened the frame by reaching on an error, stole second and scored on a base hit by Aaron Gretz.
Ohio State added a run in the seventh on a base hit by Hallman in the seventh inning, then broke the game open with a six-run eighth inning that featured a two-run single by Tim Wetzel and a two-run double by Hallman.
Hallman finished the game 2-for-4 with four runs batted in to lead the Buckeyes' 11-hit attack.
Buckeye starter Jaron Long allowed two runs and six hits in six innings. He struck out six and walked two en route to his first win of the season.
Somsen fanned seven and walked two in his six-inning stint. The senior right-hander gave up five hits and three runs - one earned - in a losing effort.
OHIO STATE 10, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 2
SDSU 000 200 000 2-8-3
OSU 000 021 16X 10-11-0
SDSU: Layne Somsen, Talon Jumper (7), Blake Fiedelman (7), Andrew Clemen (8) and Reid Clary. OSU: Jaron Long, Ryan Riga (7), Brett McKinney (8) and Aaron Gretz.
W-Long (1-0). L - Somsen (0-1). Save-McKinney (1).
HR: none.
