Ohio State defeated Toledo (12-15, 8-4 MAC), 10-5, as the Buckeyes came back from an early 3-0 deficit fueled by a five-run offensive surge in the fifth inning and timely pitching with zero runs allowed in the final three innings.
Senior right-hander Ryan Butler opened the game on the mound for Ohio State, kicking off the night by forcing a groundout to third base from Toledo right fielder Cade Baker. However, Rockets shortstop Charlie Scholvin hit a home run to left-center field the following at-bat, giving Toledo an early 1-0 lead.
After Ohio State left two on in the bottom of the inning, the Rockets continued their strong start offensively as centerfielder Liam Arsich doubled down the left-field line. Toledo first baseman Cole Cahill then sent an RBI-double to right center, scoring Arsich to increase the Rockets’ lead to two.
Butler then hit two straight batters before walking Scholvin to score a third Toledo run. With the bases loaded and two, Ohio State catcher Mason Eckelman sent a throw from the plate to third baseman Maddix Simpson, picking off Toledo third baseman Ryan Sudbrook to get out of the jam.
After a scoreless third inning, Ohio State got on the board in the bottom of the fourth. Eckelman walked to open the inning, before first baseman Harvey hit a double to left field to advance the pair. Second baseman Lee Ellis then hit a sacrifice fly to left field to score Eckelman to cut into Toledo’s lead at 3-1.
With one out, Simpson reached on a fielder’s choice before centerfielder Miles Vandenheuvel hit a slow chopper between the pitcher and first base. Toledo left-hander Cole Giesige made a strong effort to jump at the ball, but made a low throw to first that Cahill couldn’t corral. Simpson then scored from first to halve the Rockets’ advantage to one.
An RBI single to right-center field from Ohio State designated hitter Grant Mangrum tied the ballgame at three apiece. Left fielder Alex Bemis reached first on a throwing error, as Mangrum advanced to second base. Shortstop Henry Kaczmar then extended the Buckeyes’ lead to 5-3, singling to first on a throwing error from Sudbrook.
Ohio State head coach Justin Haire said following the Buckeyes’ win that their ability to battle back from an early 3-0 deficit was a direct representation of the resilience they’ve developed over the past few weeks.
“I told our guys after the game, the month of March did not start well for the Buckeyes, and they kind of had a choice, they could separate, or they could come together,” Haire said. “Our guys made a choice in the middle of the month, like, ‘hey man, we’re in this thing, we’re going to fight, we’re going to scratch, we’re going to claw,’ and so it didn’t surprise me that they turned around and just stayed in the fight.
“I think that that’s been the mark of who we’ve been the last two or three weeks, hopefully the mark of who we are the next two months and beyond, because it’s hard to beat teams that don’t quit. That’s a good mark for our guys, and we’re proud of them for that.”
Ohio State left two on in the bottom of the fifth, before Schulvin hit a two-RBI single to right field to tie the game at five apiece in the top of the sixth.
The Buckeyes quickly answered in the bottom of the inning. With the bases loaded, Vandenheuvel scored on a passed ball to give Ohio State the lead again at 6-5.
Ellis singled to shortstop to begin the seventh inning, before stealing second and third base. Vandenheuvel walked and stole second to put a second Buckeye in scoring position.
Bemis then cranked a three-run bomb to left center field to extend Ohio State’s advantage to 9-5, the Buckeyes’ largest lead of the game.
In the bottom of the eighth, right fielder Noah Furcht walked to open the inning before Harvey was hit by a pitch. After both advanced a base on a wild pitch, a groundout from Ellis scored Furcht to increase the Buckeyes’ lead to five.
Junior right-hander Andrew Erdington then closed out Toledo in the top of the ninth, as the Rockets stranded third baseman Troy Sudbrook to secure Ohio State’s 10-5 victory.
Junior right-hander Jake Michalak (4-0) earned his fourth win of the season, allowing two earned runs, two walks and one hit batter, while striking out one in 11 batters faced. Toledo lefty Arturo Ormaza (0-1) took the loss on the mound, walking two and hitting two, while giving up one run in the bottom of the sixth. Butler allowed three earned runs in three innings pitched, striking out three batters to just two walks.
Four Buckeye pitchers — junior Lincoln McVicker, senior Luke Carrell, graduate Zach Weber and Erdington — pitched at least one inning, with one or fewer hits allowed and no earned runs. Haire highlighted the Ohio State’s depth in the bullpen.
“Ryan Butler settled in and got the zero in the third, and then Lincoln McVicker settled the waters in the fourth. He’s been really good for us the last two weeks,” Haire said. “Luke Carrell has been absolutely dynamite out of the bullpen. Tonight was his 14th appearance in 27 games, which is amazing. That’s a true warrior.
“For Zach Weber to get out there and put up a zero there in the eighth, that was huge. We challenged our guys before the game today to step into some of those roles and give us some more depth in the bullpen. So to see some of those guys kind of step through that opportunity was great for our team.”
Kaczmar and Ellis led the Buckeyes with two hits and two RBIs in four at-bats apiece. Kaczmar has now recorded a hit in each of the last 15 games.
Haire said Kaczmar’s consistency at the plate has been a direct result of a hungry mindset, as his aggressive approach has helped him turn a slow start into one of the most productive stretches of his season.
“He’s a guy that’s just worked through some early-season challenges and struggles,” Haire said. “He puts the time in and puts the work in and gets in there with our coaches and approaches each day. It’s kind of the same way with his mentality, outside of the physical ability, he shows up at the yard like it’s opening day every day and I think that’s a valuable tool that sets you up for success.”
Eckelman took four walks for Ohio State, scoring once. Bemis led the team with three RBIs after his three-run homer in the seventh. Ohio State walked 10 times as a team and took three hits by pitches.
With the victory, Ohio State surpassed its 2025 win total (13-37), improving to 14-13 overall, including a 4-5 record in Big Ten play.
Ohio State will remain home when the Buckeyes take on Maryland (13-15, 2-7 Big Ten) on Friday at 6 p.m., Saturday at 3 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. at Bill Davis Stadium.
