Anthony Ashnault hasn't been the lead-off guy for his wrestling team since his freshman year at South Plainfield High School seven years ago, when he was a 103-pounder embarking on a scholastic legacy that included four consecutive state championships.
Apparently, it's a role that Rutgers' fourth-year junior enjoys.
With the Rutgers and Ohio State duel starting at a random starting weight, Ashnault got the call in a battle of ranked 149-pound wrestlers Monday night. Riding a nine-match winning streak, Ashnault lived up to his No. 6 national ranking by racing to a 6-0 first-period lead and cruising to a 10-1 major decision over No. 15 Luke Pletcher.
WATCH: No. 6 Ashnault gets a first period tilt on his way to a 10-1 major vs. No. 15 Pletcher. #RelentlessPursuit https://t.co/hHryV4vxWY
-- Rutgers Wrestling (@RUWrestling) February 7, 2017
Ashnault's 22nd win of the season provided early momentum for No. 13 Rutgers (11-4, 5-3 Big Ten), which won three of its first five bouts.
In the end, No. 4 Ohio State showed why it's a top contender for a Big Ten championship this season. The Buckeyes (9-2, 5-2) won four of their five bouts after intermission to rally for a 23-18 triumph in Columbus, Ohio.
No. 18 John Van Brill scored five points for Rutgers with a 17-0 tech fall and Jordan Pagano registered a 7-1 decision as the Scarlet Knights took a 12-7 lead at the halfway point.
But Ohio State dominated the upper weights, scoring bonus points in three of its final four wins -- including a tech fall from NCAA- and Olympic-champion Kyle Snyder -- to shake off a 32-12 loss at top-ranked Penn State last Friday.
After Rutgers' Brandon Paetzell was rewarded a forfeit victory at 125 pounds, the match boiled down to Scott DelVeccio vs. Nathan Tomasello, the Buckeyes' unbeaten redshirt junior.
Tomasello showed why he's the nation's top-ranked 133-pounder, scoring three first-period takedowns and cruising to a 15-5 major decision in the decisive bout of the evening.
Fresh off a 25-9 win over Indiana on Sunday, the Scarlet Knights had a quick turnaround as they traveled 500 miles west to face national-power Ohio State. The Buckeyes were initially schedule to host Rutgers on Jan. 8 but a snowstorm forced the Scarlet Knights to scrap travel plans.
The loss was Rutgers' second in its last six bouts since losing at Penn State on Jan. 13.
The Scarlet Knights will return to action Sunday (12 p.m., BTN Plus), hosting Big Ten-foe Northwestern (6-6, 1-5) in its regular-season finale at the Rutgers Athletic Center.
Keith Sargeant may be reached at ksargeant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @KSargeantNJ. Find NJ.com Rutgers Football on Facebook.
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