Well, if last week was not disappointing enough, Ohio State replayed the same script this week: midweek MAC one-off followed by a conference sweep with 2 run rules.
Tuesday's MAC one-off was against in-state opponent Miami (OH). The Redhawks would score 1 in the T1, but would leave the bases loaded, and Ohio State took over the game from there. The Buckeyes immediately responded in the B1 as Mason Eckelman was HBP with the bases loaded to bring home Trey Lipsey. Then Ryan Miller hit a 2-RBI single, bringing in Tyler Pettorini and Matthew Graveline. Following that, Reggie Bussey hit a 2-RBI double to plate Eckelman and Miller. Graveline came home on a wild pitch, and Bussey was brought in on a sac-groundout by Maddox Simpson, as the Buckeyes blew the game open early, leading 7-1 after 1. In the B2, Graveline brought Lee Ellis home on an RBI single, and then, in the B4, the speed of Trey Lipsey was on full display as he hit the ball just right to round the bases for an inside-the-park home run as Ohio State extended the lead to 9-1. Miami took a couple back in the T5, but Bussey responded, with interest, launching a 3-run home run in the B5, bringing home Eckelman and Miller, and giving the Buckeyes a 12-3 lead just over halfway through. Then in the B6, bases loaded walks by Nick Giamarusti and Bussey plated Pettorini and Graveline, respectively, stretching the lead to 14-3. However, the Redhawks would stave off the run-rule as they scored 2 in each of the T7 and T9, but Ohio State would hold on for the 14-7 win. Relief pitcher Gavin Kuzniewski earned the win, bringing him up to 3-1 on the season.
| 3/18/25 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| Miami (OH) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 1 |
| Ohio State | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | X | 14 | 11 | 1 |
BOTTOM 1 | A two-RBI double from @regbus2 extends the Buckeye lead, 5-1!#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/IWPQmEVgRz
— Ohio State Baseball (@OhioStateBASE) March 18, 2025
TOP 4 | Pitchers are athletes too #SCTop10 | #GoBucks | @GavinKuzniewski pic.twitter.com/oCcSuhqUth
— Ohio State Baseball (@OhioStateBASE) March 18, 2025
BOTTOM 4 | INSIDE THE PARK HOME RUN @LipseyTrey turns on the jets and extends the Buckeye lead, 9-1!#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/HxxJx7pcNx
— Ohio State Baseball (@OhioStateBASE) March 18, 2025
BOTTOM 5 | SEE YA BALL @regbus2's first home run as a Buckeye is a three-run shot to give Ohio State a 12-3 lead!#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/u8PPCMMl4o
— Ohio State Baseball (@OhioStateBASE) March 18, 2025
Then Ohio State hit the road again for a weekend conference series against Iowa, and it was a pathetic weekend.
Game 1 on Friday was never close. Iowa scored 2 in the B1 and 4 in the B2 to open the game. 3 more in each of the B4 and B5 pushed the lead to 12-0, and with Ohio State unable to get anything going from the plate, Iowa closed the game early, with a 7-inning run-rule to open the series. Starting pitcher Ryan Butler recorded the loss, his first decision of the season.
| 3/21/25 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
| Ohio State | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Iowa | 2 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | X | 12 | 10 | 0 |
Game 2 on Saturday was hardly any better. Iowa jumped out to an early lead again, this time 5-0 after the 1st inning. Ohio State responded with back-to-back homers by Eckelman and Miller in the T2 and an RBI single by Ellis, plating Lipsey in the T3, to cut the Hawkeye lead to 5-3, but it was almost all Iowa from there. Ellis hit a 2-RBI single in the T4, bringing home Miller and Will Carpenter, but that was sandwiched by 3 runs by Iowa in the B3 and 4 in the B5 to increase the Hawkeye lead to 12-5. There would be no more runs after that, but staying in single digit margins, the game finished out in the normal 9 innings, as the Hawkeyes clinched the series. Starting pitcher Blaine Wynk recorded the loss, also his first decision of the year.
| 3/22/25 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| Ohio State | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 1 |
| Iowa | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 12 | 9 | 2 |
TOP 2 | LEAD-OFF HOME RUN @EckelmanMason goes yard to put the Buckeyes on the board!#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/kYMwhxfOSW
— Ohio State Baseball (@OhioStateBASE) March 22, 2025
TOP 2 | BACK-TO-BACK @Miller_Ryan5 sends one out of the park to cut the Hawkeye lead to three, 5-2!#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/4hCj5QKtJm
— Ohio State Baseball (@OhioStateBASE) March 22, 2025
Game 3 on Sunday was........ excruciating, to say the least. Iowa again jumped out to an early lead, scoring 3 in the B1. Ohio State responded with a 2-RBI long bomb from Miller, plating Eckelman, but it was literally all Hawkeyes from there. Ohio State could not stop the bleeding excuse for pitching as Iowa scored 7 in the B3, 5 in the B4, 1 in the B5, and 2 in the B6 to blow the game wide open, winning 18-2 for the sweep and the second 7 inning run-rule of the weekend. Starting pitcher Jake Michalak recorded the loss, dropping him to 1-3 on the season.
| 3/23/25 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
| Ohio State | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Iowa | 3 | 0 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 2 | X | 18 | 15 | 1 |
FOUR HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-TWO FEET #GoBucks | @Miller_Ryan5 https://t.co/kZYE40dA8p pic.twitter.com/lL1MKko9Oo
— Ohio State Baseball (@OhioStateBASE) March 23, 2025
After the 1-3 week, Ohio State dropped to 6-15 (0-6). Miami (OH) moved to 12-11 after a series win against Eastern Michigan, and Iowa improved to 14-8 (7-2).
Up Next, it doesn't get any easier as Ohio State comes back to Columbus to start another home stand against 19-5 (7-2) #9 Oregon.
