COLUMBUS, Ohio – Rutgers baseball dropped game two at Ohio State by a score of 16-8 on Saturday afternoon at Bill Davis Stadium.
 
The Scarlet Knights (19-24, 8-12) were unable to overcome numerous big innings from the Buckeyes (11-29, 3-17), who forced a rubber match Sunday with the win.

RU quickly loaded the bases in the top of the first and scored the game's first two runs on a wild pitch and bases-loaded walk to take a 2-0 lead. 

Ohio State responded with a four-spot in the bottom half to take a 4-2 advantage. The game was a back-and-forth affair early, with the Scarlet Knights quickly tying the game back up on an RBI single from Ty Doucette and sac fly from Peyton Bonds in the second. 

The Buckeyes took a 6-4 lead in the third on a two-run home run, which RU quickly responded to with a two-run sac fly from JT Thompson to make it a 6-6 going into the bottom of the fourth. OSU would then add four in the fourth and one more in the fifth to jump out to an 11-6 lead, one that would prove too big for the Scarlet Knights to bounce back from. 

JT Thompson hit his first career home run in the top of the sixth to get Rutgers within three runs at 11-8, but that was all the scoring for the visitors in the rest of the game. The Buckeyes would add five runs in the bottom of the eighth to erase all doubt and force a decisive game three on Sunday. 

The series finale and rubber match between Rutgers and Ohio State is set for 12 p.m. Sunday on Big Ten Plus.

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