Ohio State improved to 11-3 on the season with its comeback win vs. Rutgers on Sunday.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Trailing 14-5 following five matches, the fourth-ranked Ohio State wrestling team stormed back to win four of the final five matches, including three via tech fall, to secure a 23-17 victory against No. 22 Rutgers on Sunday in front of a sold-out crowd at the College Avenue Gym. With the triumph, the Buckeyes extended their winning streak to seven matches while improving to 11-3 overall (7-1 Big Ten). Rutgers is now 11-6 and 1-6 in the Big Ten.
The Buckeyes' surge was highlighted by Bo Jordan (165 pounds), Kenny Courts (184 pounds) and Kyle Snyder (197), who all earned tech falls. Nathan Tomasello also started the match at 125 pounds with a tech fall. Ohio State's other win came from Mark Martin, who defeated 19th-ranked Phil Bakuckas 8-2 at 174 pounds.
Tomasello got the Buckeyes out to a fast start, racking up points early and often on his way to a 23-8 tech fall against Josh Patrick. Tomasello, now 21-3 overall on the season, scored three takedowns in the first period for a 7-3 lead and then three more in the second for a 13-6 advantage. He finished off the tech fall with an escape and three more takedowns.
Rutgers responded with victories in the next four matches, including Scott DelVecchio's 7-1 upset of seventh-ranked Johnni DiJulius at 133 pounds. DelVecchio had a reversal and three-point near fall in the third period to build on his 2-1 advantage. At 141 pounds, senior Logan Stieber did not wrestle due to illness, and Rutgers' Anthony Ashnault, ranked ninth nationally, earned a tech fall against Sal Marandino to give the Scarlet Knights an 8-5 lead.
The 149-pound match went to 17th-ranked Ken Theobold 3-0 against Randy Languis. In the next bout, 157 pounds, Rutgers scored its second upset of the day when No. 17 Anthony Perrotti defeated ninth-ranked Josh Demas 8-5. Perrotti got the win thanks a reversal and three-point near fall to close the second period.
After intermission, Jordan got Ohio State back on the scoreboard with a dominating 16-0 tech fall against Nick Visicaro. It was his second tech fall of the weekend and highlighted by eight quick points in the first period (takedown, two three-point near falls) and eight more in the second (takedown, three-point near fall).
Martin gutted out an 8-2 win against Bakuckas at 174 pounds to pull Ohio State to within one at 14-13. Leading 2-1 after the first period, he chose down to start the second and quickly escaped for a 3-1 edge. He extended it to 5-1 on a takedown to end the second and then had another in the third (plus riding time) to the decision.
Courts put Ohio State ahead for good with a 16-1 tech fall against Taylor Jackson at 184 pounds. He quickly scored a takedown and three-point near fall for a 5-0 advantage. Another three-point near fall made it 8-0 and stalling extended it to 9-0 entering the second period. He finished the match off in the second period with three more takedowns.
Snyder clinched the team victory with a dominating 24-8 tech fall at 197 pounds against Hayden Hrymack. Snyder, who moved to 21-2 on the season, had four first-period takedowns, four in the second and a near fall in the third to highlight his afternoon.
