Well this certainly was an up and down week as the Buckeyes decided to decorate their record for Christmas, going 2-2
The week started on Wednesday with a return visit to Kent State after previously beating them 7-6 in Columbus, and this time around it did not go as well. Ohio State started off the game with a 2-run T1, but Kent State would quickly erase that deficit with a 6-run B2, taking the lead for good. Ohio State threatened to come back, Cutting the deficit to 2 after the T8, but a 3-run B8 put the game away and allowed the Flashes to win 10-5. Each Buckeye run was scored by a different player, but the high team scorer was Trey Lipsey with 2 RBIs. Starter Jaylen Jones was given the loss after allowing 6 earned runs, his first decision of the year. Reliever Josh Timmerman was the highlight of the pitchers, striking out 6 Golden Flashes batters, and allowing no runs.
| 4/26/23 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| Ohio State | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 2 |
| Kent State | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | X | 10 | 8 | 2 |
The Buckeyes would then return home for a weekend series that certainly had its ups and downs.
Game 1 on Friday went very similar to the Kent State game, albeit in favor of the Buckeyes this time. Illinois scored a 2-run homer in the T2, but that would be their only highlight of the day as Ohio State scored 6 runs in the B3 to take the lead, and they wouldn't look back as they would score 4 more, including a 3-run homer by Hunter Rosson in the B7 to win 10-2. Cole Andrews was the high personal scorer with 2 runs, and the aforementioned Rosson was the high team scorer with 3 RBIs. Starting pitcher Gavin Bruni was given the win, bringing him to 3-2, as he struck out 8 Illini batters as part of 13 total strikeouts delivered by the Buckeye pitchers.
| 4/28/23 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| Illinois | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| Ohio State | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | X | 10 | 12 | 1 |
Game 2 on Saturday was not good, to say the least. Ohio State faced only on pitcher all day, only registered 1 hit - a double by Henry Kaczmar - were struck out 7 times, and only had 28 at bats on the day. Starting pitcher Jonah Jenkins was given the loss, dropping him to 4-4, as the Illini won 7-0.
| 4/29/23 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| Illinois | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 11 | 0 |
| Ohio State | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Game 3 on Saturday went much better offensively, registering 16 hits, including 4 home runs. The Illini started out quickly scoring 5 in the first two innings, but the Buckeyes kept whacking at the ball, and took the lead for good with a 5-run B4, and highlighted by a 3-run homer by Andrews in the B6. Illinois threatened to come back with a 4 run T8, but a solo home run by Andrews, as well as the defense getting three outs in 4 at bats in the T9 gave the Buckeyes a 15-9 win, and the weekend series win. Lipsey and Matthew Graveline tied for the high personal scorer with 3 runs each, and Andrews was the high team scorer with 5 RBIs. Relief pitcher Timmerman was given the win, bringing him to 2-1.
| 4/30/29 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| Illinois | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 14 | 0 |
| Ohio State | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | X | 15 | 16 | 1 |
The split week brings the Buckeyes to 22-22. Kent State improved to 31-12, and Illinois dropped to 19-21.
Up next, Ohio State makes another return trip, this time to Wright State, before going to Iowa City to take on the Hawkeyes over the weekend.
