Ohio State graduate student Lexie Handley (00) pitches the ball towards home plate during the Ohio State-Indiana game Friday. Ohio State won 6-2. Credit: Katie Good | For the Lantern
The afternoon started off well for the Buckeyes, but took a turn for the worse following the first game.
Graduate left-hander Lexie Handley pitched a complete game to begin the series against Indiana (16-7, 1-1 Big Ten) Friday. Sophomore righties Emily Ruck and Allison Smith both struggled in the second game of the doubleheader, giving up a combined 17 runs off 16 hits.
Game 1
The Buckeyes (19-5, 1-1 Big Ten) were dominant in the first inning, starting with Handley striking out the side in the top of the inning.
In the bottom of the frame, senior outfielder Jaycee Ruberti started the offense by reaching first base on a fielding error by junior second baseman Cora Bassett. With two outs, senior infielder Niki Carver started the four-run barrage by mashing a two-run home run off the scoreboard.
One batter later, sophomore infielder McKenzie Bump did the same thing without any runners on for her first collegiate home run. Freshman infielder Kaitlyn Farley hit a line drive to left field to score freshman infielder Kami Kortokrax, who reached on a throwing error, making the score 4-0.
The Hoosiers threatened in the second, but Handley worked out of a bases-loaded jam to strike out junior pinch hitter Desiree Dufek.
Ohio State’s bats heated up again in the fourth inning, starting with freshman outfielder Melina Wilkison, who reached on an error. Ruberti tripled to center field to score Wilkison, then junior designated player Sam Hackenbracht hit a sacrifice fly to left field to stretch the Buckeyes’ lead to 6-0.
Indiana battled back in the sixth, scoring two runs in the same fashion. Sophomore shortstop Brooke Benson and senior designated player Brittany Ford hit back-to-back home runs to straightaway center field.
“I think the good thing is that we were up, I think 6-0 at that point, so those two runs it gives them a little bit of momentum, but I knew that our offense performed the way we needed them to,” Handley said. “So luckily for me as a pitcher, it’s kind of you know, you don’t want to give up home runs, but it’s not the end of the world, and got back to it and got the win.”
The Buckeyes outlasted the Hoosiers, winning by a score of 6-2. Ohio State played errorless defense and produced enough runs on offense to back up the southpaw.
“I thought we played well as a team,” Handley said. “Our defense was good, our offense came out hot, and I was excited to get the ball and to start us off in Big Ten play.”
Handley earned her ninth win of the season, giving up five hits and two runs while striking out 12.
Game 2
This time the Hoosiers jumped out on top first off of Ruck. Bassett reached on a single, then made her way over to third base as a result of a sacrifice bunt and a stolen base. Sophomore infielder Grace Lorsung’s single dropped into shallow left field to score Bassett, giving Indiana the early 1-0 lead.
Bump hit a groundball to Lorsung who threw home, but Ruberti scored as a result of redshirt sophomore catcher Lindsey Warick not stepping on the plate, allowing the Buckeyes to tie the game. Kortokrax worked a bases-loaded walk after a long at-bat, scoring Hackenbracht.
Indiana answered right back in the second inning. After two quick strikeouts, freshman outfielder Taylor Minnick singled and sophomore pitcher Macy Montgomery walked. Bassett took advantage of the runners on base and crushed her eighth home run of the season, a three-run blast to center field, with some assistance from the wind blowing out.
“The balls were just traveling, they were squaring up the balls,” head coach Kelly Kovach Schoenly said. “I think when we have rise-ball pitchers you get pop-ups, but when you have rise-ball pitchers with wind, you get home runs. It’s a big difference.”
The Hoosiers’ offense exploded in the third inning with some more big swings. Following a Lorsung single, freshman utility Brianna Copeland hit a moonshot over the left field wall to extend their lead to 6-2. However, the Hoosiers still weren’t done.
Sophomore righty Allison Smith came in for relief and immediately gave up a double to freshman outfielder Sarah Stone, then Warick hit another home run to left. Montgomery scored off a bloop single by Benson. Ford reached on a fielding error to score Bassett, adding to the Hoosiers’ lead.
Indiana tacked on another run in the fourth by way of a Minnick single up the middle, scoring sophomore outfielder Aaliyah Andrews and making the score 11-2.
“You try to just reset every inning and just say, ‘Win this inning,’ just try to focus them in on, ‘Let’s get some momentum, keep swinging, keep fighting.’ All those types of things,” Schoenly said.
The Buckeyes got back on the board by way of a Farley triple to score junior pinch hitter Tegan Cortelletti.
Indiana piled on some more in the fifth inning with Copeland hitting her second home run of the game, this time a grand slam over the right field wall. Minnick hit her first collegiate home run, a two-run shot to center field, racking the score up to 17-3. Ruck came back in for relief to get the final two outs of the inning.
Ohio State did not give up in the bottom half of the frame. Carver was hit by a pitch, then junior infielder Avery Clark blasted a home run, trying to get the Buckeyes back in the game. However, it was not enough as Farley lined out to end the game as Ohio State succumbed to the run rule.
“It’s going to be a whole new game tomorrow,” Schoenly said. “I say this quite a bit, but when you lose a bad game like that, I say, ‘Look guys, it only counted for one loss. As bad as you played, it only counts for one.’ So just get back on the horse and get ready to fight again tomorrow,”
The Buckeyes will be back in action at Buckeye Field Saturday for the rubber match against Indiana, starting at 2 p.m. on BTN+.
