The Ohio State Softball team huddles up before the Ohio State-Michigan game April 9, 2021. Ohio State lost 7-0. Credit: Christian Harsa | Special Projects Director
Northwestern proved to be too much to handle for graduate lefty Lexie Handley, and the Buckeyes couldn’t string together enough offense to battle back as they fell to the Wildcats 12-3 Friday.
In perhaps the biggest outing of Ohio State’s (23-8, 4-3 Big Ten) season thus far, Handley had a rough outing, giving up seven hits, four walks and nine runs in the four innings she pitched.
The Wildcats (25-6, 6-1 Big Ten) wasted no time getting on the board early with graduate utility Rachel Lewis and senior catcher Jordyn Rudd hitting back-to-back home runs with one out in the top of the first inning and taking a 2-0 lead.
Sophomore catcher Hannah Bryan responded in the second inning by crushing a two-run home run to straightaway center, her first collegiate home run, to tie the ball game through two innings.
“It was amazing. The team, we were doing great, and then that just started it all out,” Bryan said. “I’m just so happy to be out on the field with my team.”
Handley struggled in the top of the third frame, walking four-straight batters to allow Northwestern to score another run and take the lead back. Senior infielder Nikki Cuchran reached on a fielder’s choice by Bryan, scoring Lewis, then Handley gave up another run following a throwing error that gave Rudd the opportunity to score.
“We had our huddle and she just owned it and was like, ‘I’ll be better,’ and told the team, ‘Look, I’ll be better. This game is on me,’” Head coach Kelly Kovach Schoenly said.“Just to have someone actually step up and own her performance that she’s not excited about, you have to give the other team credit, but Lexie definitely feels like she didn’t throw her best today.”
Senior infielder Maeve Nelson scored another run after a fielder’s choice by senior first baseman Niki Carver, choosing to get the out at first base and make it 6-2 Wildcats.
The Buckeyes got one run back in the third frame. Carver hit a rocket of a line drive to freshman second baseman Grace Nieto that bounced off her glove, allowing senior outfielder Jaycee Ruberti to score as Nieto chose to get junior pinch runner v out at second.
Senior outfielder Skyler Shellmyer gave the Wildcats another insurance run to lead off the fourth inning with a home run over the right field wall, her first of the season, stretching the lead to 7-3.
Northwestern’s offense still wasn’t done in the fifth frame. Handley gave up her fourth home run of the day, a two-run shot off the bat of junior utility Angela Zedak, knocking Handley out of the game as sophomore right-hander Emily Ruck came in for relief.
Bryan helped her pitcher get out of the inning by throwing out freshman pinch runner Ayana Lindsey, who attempted to steal second base. This was Bryan’s second runner she’s caught stealing in the past two games.
“I’ve had a lot of patience in just knowing my role, and now that I’m able to get out there and show what I can do, it’s been really great,” Bryan said. “All of the players have had my back and they’ve been so supportive of me.”
Ruck gave up a single to Shellmyer at the top of the sixth frame before giving up a home run to Lewis, her second of the game and 14th of the season. Following this at-bat, Rudd walked and senior Sammy Stanley came in as a pinch runner and scored three batters later as Zedak hit a sacrifice fly to center field, putting the Wildcats ahead 12-3, which gave them the mercy-rule win following the bottom of the inning.
“I think our mindset offensively, I thought we were ready to go and the girls put up a good fight offensively, and just keep fighting it out, and we have to make a few better pitches in key moments,” Schoenly said. “That one inning got away from us with the walks, like that wasn’t anything, and then all of a sudden it was a big thing, so that was unfortunate.”
The Buckeyes are back at Buckeye Field Saturday for their second game against Northwestern, starting at 2 p.m. The game will be on BTN+.
