The Ohio State Softball team stands together before the Ohio State-Michigan game on April 9. Ohio State lost 7-0. Credit: Christian Harsa | Asst. Photo Editor
Having lost back-to-back series for the first time this season, Ohio State has a chance to trend back in the right direction with a four-game weekend series against Rutgers at Buckeye Field.
The Buckeyes moved to 14-13 after losing three games at Indiana a week ago and are in sixth place in the Big Ten Conference, with 20-game winners in Michigan, Minnesota and Northwestern atop the standings.
The Scarlet Knights bring their 6-21 record into Columbus, sitting 13th in the conference. Rutgers has lost its last seven games and been limited to three runs or less in each of those ballgames.
Graduate utility Gabrielle Callaway has paced Rutgers’ offense, boasting a .333 batting average alongside a team-high four home runs and 30 hits, which rank tied for sixth in the Big Ten.
“Offensively, they have some kids that can be clutch, and I think that’s the trick is if maybe their average isn’t as high, but you know when they’re coming up with runners on, you got to give your best pitch,” head coach Kelly Kovach Schoenly said. “We’re going to focus on limiting the baserunners as much as possible so they can’t have those moments. That’s on us to keep our pitches moving and throwing strikes.”
In the circle, Rutgers has relied on graduate righty Izzy Berouty and sophomore right-hander Ashley Hitchcock for 24 of its 28 starts. Both pitchers have allowed at least 65 earned runs in at least 57 1/3 innings.
“Each of them has a little bit of a different style, so we just want to make sure that we’re ready for everything because it’s not going to look the same each outing in a four-game series,” Schoenly said.
The Hoosiers solved Ohio State pitchers last weekend as both senior Payton Buresch and freshman Allison Smith were dinged for at least seven runs and one loss.
Despite an uncharacteristic series last weekend at Indiana, Schoenly said she felt Buresch and Smith responded well in the finale Sunday. Smith, who started that final game of the series, combined with Buresch to limit Indiana to three runs and six hits in the 3-0 loss, both figures were series lows for the Hoosiers.
Buresch and Smith have combined for more than 170 innings this season, each in the top 10 for innings pitched in the conference. They both have sub-.255 opponent batting averages, and their Buckeye teammates have seen how Buresch and Smith adjust and focus each week of practice in advance for the coming weekend.
“Honestly, I think they’re the top pitchers I’ve ever seen,” junior outfielder Meggie Otte said. “They do what they have to do, they get their job done. I just think when I’m out in the outfield, I have all my trust in them. I think even when they do miss, we can get the ball in to them. I trust them so much.”
The Buckeyes debuted a new batting order, and Otte was one of several Buckeyes who saw their name in a different spot in the lineup card last weekend.
The return of sophomore infielder Avery Clark came Sunday after she had missed action since March 13. Clark led Ohio State with 24 hits and five home runs in her first collegiate season a year ago, while going 4-for-27 in her first 10 games of this season.
Sophomore second baseman Mariah Rodriguez moved to the leadoff spot for the first time this season in Game 1 Saturday and sophomore catcher Sam Hackenbracht slotted No. 3 Sunday, giving their dangerous bats a chance to make an impact early.
“I thought [Mariah] had the hot bat, and so we wanted to get her as many at-bats as we could. That was more my mindset on it,” Schoenly said. “I think Sam’s been really seeing the ball. Wanted to get her in that first inning at-bat type situation, so we moved her up as well. Then we put Tegan (Cortelletti) after those guys just to have a restart in the middle of the order. It’s just a new way to think about it.”
Ohio State’s offense slowed after scoring 29 runs against Maryland in the home-opening series March 26-28 and following that performance with 20 runs in three contests at Penn State the week thereafter.
Despite being held to just 10 runs — nine of which came in Saturday’s Game 2 win — the Buckeyes collected 26 hits at Indiana versus the Hoosiers’ 41.
“I think the focus will be just trying to get that rhythm back with hitting,” Otte said. “Just to find our confidence and keep working really hard at hitting so we can get on and get those runs in.”
The Buckeyes and Scarlet Knights will start their series with a Friday doubleheader beginning at 3:05 p.m., an adjustment made in advance of the weekend forecast. Each game will broadcast on BTN+.
