March 6, 2010
Ohio State 15, Saint Louis 9 | Saint Louis 10, Ohio State 9
Port Charlotte, Fla. - Saint Louis and No. 16 Ohio State split a doubleheader Saturday afternoon in the Buckeye Invitational in Port Charlotte, Fla. OSU claimed a 15-9 victory in the first game, but SLU responded with a 10-9 win in game two.
The Billikens (5-6) have knocked off a nationally ranked team two years in a row. Last year, SLU topped No. 11 Ole Miss 15-11.
Redshirt freshman Steve Fernandez posted five RBIs in the win against the Buckeyes, while Jon Myers had three hits and scored three times. Marco Mejia picked up the win in relief after tossing 2.1 innings. Andres Wiltz earned his first-career save after throwing the final 1.1 innings.
In game two, Ohio State jumped on top 2-0 with a pair of runs off SLU starter Jerry Mancuso in the bottom of the first, but SLU responded when Fernandez cleared the bases with a bases-loaded double in the top of the third.
OSU scored two more times in the bottom of the third to make it 4-3 before SLU plated three in the top of the fifth. Myers stroked an RBI double, and Fernandez plated a pair with a two-run single to make it 6-4 Billikens through five.
That remained the score until the bottom of the sixth, when Ohio State plated three runs to regain the lead at 7-6.
But SLU answered with a four-run seventh. J.D. Dunn then singled to left to put SLU up 10-6 through seven and a half.
Ohio State would score a run in both the seventh and eighth innings to make it interesting, but SLU held on for the 10-9 victory. Wiltz got the last out of the eighth inning and worked around a lead-off single in the ninth to earn the first save of his career.
In the first game, SLU scored three in the top of the first but quickly fell being 6-3 against OSU staff ace and All-American Alex Wimmers. Ohio State, led by a four-run sixth, would go on for the victory despite a late-inning charge that saw the Billikens plate three runs in the top of the ninth.
Danny Brock and Andrew Guerra each had three hits for the Billikens, while Miller, Myers and Levine all registered two hits for the Billikens.
Saint Louis concludes play in the Buckeye Invitational tomorrow against Duquesne in a 10 a.m. (CT) first pitch.
