Ohio State is still alive.
The Buckeyes used a late-inning rally to down McNeese, 9-8, in extra innings and survive an elimination game on Saturday afternoon in the NCAA baseball tournament.
Ohio State found itself trailing the Cowboys 8-5 entering the eighth inning, but with their backs against the wall facing elimination, the Buckeyes pushed across three runs to tie the game at 8-8 in the eighth.
The teams were scoreless in extra innings until the 13th, thanks to magnificent relief pitching from Ohio State's Andrew Magno, who had a career-high 12 strikeouts in 7.1 innings pitched.
Ohio State broke the seal at the top of the inning, taking the lead with a two-out RBI single from Ridge Winand.
A hit up the middle and the Buckeyes take the lead!! #RoadToOmaha | @OhioStateBASE pic.twitter.com/2muEh9FwzV
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS) June 1, 2019
Magno then put down McNeese in the bottom of the inning to seal the victory.
With the win, Ohio State keeps its NCAA Tournament run alive, and will take on Indiana State – who lost to Vanderbilt on Saturday – in another elimination game at 3 p.m. Sunday.
Like the first game, Ohio State got off to a hot start, opening scoring in the top of the first inning with a sac fly from Dillon Dingler to go up 1-0. But McNeese punched back immediately with a run on a wild pitch and a sac fly to go up 2-1.
McNeese added two more runs in the third when the Buckeyes failed to turn an inning-ending double play that led to a run, then surrendered a two-out RBI ground-rule double to make it a 4-1 game.
But the Buckeyes fought back.
Ohio State closed the gap in the top of the fourth thanks to a two-run homer from Zach Dezenzo, then tied the game at 4-4 in the fifth with a solo shot from Brady Cherry.
McNeese retook the lead in the bottom of the fifth, but the Buckeyes tied it once again with a solo home run from Dominic Canzone to make it 5-5 in the sixth.
Big wall...Not a big problem for Dominic Canzone! #RoadToOmaha | @OhioStateBASE pic.twitter.com/A2i7bJKVEr
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS) June 1, 2019
It did not stay tied for long.
McNeese once again regained the lead with a three-run sixth inning and appeared to be in control of the game heading into the eighth inning, but with their backs against the wall, the Buckeyes fought back yet again.
Ohio State pushed across three runs at the top of the eighth to tie the game and ultimately send it to extra innings, where the Buckeyes won 9-8 in the 13th.
