Ohio State has been struggling this season, to say the least. They were 6-15 as they welcomed the 10th-ranked Oregon Ducks to Nick Swisher Field at Bill Davis Stadium for the first time as a fellow Big Ten team. The Buckeyes were 0-6 in conference play and in the basement, looking up at the league-leading Ducks.
On Friday, it looked like Ohio State would experience more of the same as they lost to Oregon 7-0 and got their 16th loss of the year. But with rain forecasted for Sunday, a Saturday doubleheader is just what Dr. Brutus ordered for these ailing Buckeyes.
The first of the doubleheader looked to be more of the same from Friday, and this season as Oregon jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Ohio State answered, though, when Tyler Pettorini knocked Trey Lipsey in to make it 4-1 after one inning.
Reggie Bussey knocked in Matthew Graveline in the bottom of the second to cut the Ducks’ lead to two. Maddix Simpson then hit a two-run home run (his first of the year) with Sal Mineo on to tie the game at 4-4.
BOTTOM 2 | THAT ONE IS OUTTA HERE đź’Ł @MaddixSimpson's first career home run sends two runs across and ties the score, 4-4!#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/3BvbHkGxVm
— Ohio State Baseball (@OhioStateBASE) March 29, 2025
It didn’t stay tied long as a three-run home run by the Ducks in the top of the third made it 7-4. Ohio State chipped away at the lead when Lee Ellis scored on a fielder’s choice and made it 7-5 after three innings. Ellis then knocked in Simpson in the fourth. Oregon struck back with a two-run home run in the fifth inning and a solo homer in the 7th to make it 10-6. In the bottom of the seventh, Ryan Miller scored on a wild pitch and so did Mason Eckelman to make the game 10-8.
In the eighth, Lipsey scored on an error by the Ducks catcher. Graveline then knocked in Pettorini to take an 11-10 lead. Ohio State held on in the ninth to get its first Big Ten win of the 2025 season and improve its record to 7-16.
BOTTOM 8 | @MGraveline09 gives the Buckeyes the 11-10 lead with a two-RBI single!!#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/r6Vj4gmn7V
— Ohio State Baseball (@OhioStateBASE) March 29, 2025
There was no rest for the men of the scarlet and gray. Oregon would take a 1-0 lead in the second, but the Buckeyes would answer. Mineo would bring Graveline home with a double, and Simpson would bring home Mineo and Bussey, and with a double, and Ohio State would lead 3-1 after two.
Graveline would knock in Miller in the fourth making the score 4-1. Oregon would tie the game with another home run in the fourth and take the lead in the fifth, 5-4. Ellis would tie the game in the sixth with an RBI that would allow Bussey to score. Tyler Pettorini would provide the fireworks with a three-run home run that would make the game 8-5 Buckeyes.
Oregon would get one last run in the ninth before Ohio State closed out their second Big Ten win of the day and the season, 8-6. Maybe it was the throwback uniforms or the great atmosphere at Bill Davis Stadium, but whatever it was, Ohio State needed these wins badly.
They're still 8-16 overall and 2-7 in the Big Ten this year, but that sure as daylight looks better than 6-18 and 0-9, which was what looked to be the smart bet after losing 7-0 Friday night. Hopefully, Justin Haire and his Buckeyes will build off of taking a series from the #10 team in the country.
They’ll have a chance to do just that on Tuesday when they welcome West Virginia to Columbus. The Mountaineers are 22-4 (14-1 on the road) and beat BYU 20-6 on Friday and 19-16 on Saturday.