Ohio State senior outfielder Maggie Otte (21) prepares to swing. Credit: Zachary Rilley | Photo Editor
The Buckeyes’ road trip out West brought back a bit of success on the softball diamond.
The Ohio State women’s softball team went 3-1 over the weekend, claiming three-straight wins and posting two shutouts. After finding success against Cal State Northridge, Oregon State and San Diego State, Utah sent the Buckeyes home with a loss.
The Buckeyes (6-6) showed up offensively throughout the weekend, hitting .324 as a team with four home runs, all by different players. California native and senior infielder Mariah Rodriguez had a solid weekend hitting .455 with five hits in 11 at-bats.
Three different pitchers picked up wins this weekend for Ohio State. Junior pitcher Allison Smith had 10 strikeouts in 8 2/3 innings against Cal State Northridge, and freshman Lexi Paulsen came in relief Saturday against San Diego State and pitched 4 2/3 innings to secure the win. Junior pitcher Emily Ruck pitched a shutout against Oregon State.
Game 1
Ohio State’s offense was explosive against Cal State Northridge (5-9), hitting a combined three home runs.
The Buckeyes scored their first two runs in the top of the first inning with home runs from outfielders sophomore Melina Wilkison and graduate Jaycee Ruberti.
Smith pitched four innings and picked up her third win of the season. She allowed two hits and struck out eight, while Paulsen came in for relief in the fifth inning and allowed one hit and struck out two.
With the help of solid hitting and pitching, Ohio State took the win in five innings 12-0.
Game 2
The Buckeyes had an early 4-0 lead on the Beavers (7-8) with RBI doubles in each of the first two innings, the first by Ruberti and the second by junior utilityman McKenzie Bump.
A couple of errors cost Oregon State, as it allowed two more runs to Ohio State in the fifth and sixth innings, giving the Buckeyes the win 6-0.
Ruck collected her first win of the season and allowed just three hits in seven innings.
The bats were hot for the Buckeyes, as Wilkison finished the game 3-for-4 with an RBI and a triple, and sophomore infielder Kami Kortokrax went 2-for-3 with a double.
Game 3
Following their first game Saturday, the Buckeyes went on to face San Diego State (10-5) in which the Aztecs led 4-0 after three innings due to errors by Ohio State.
After trailing behind for the first four innings, the Buckeye bats woke up when freshman catcher Hannah Church got a base hit at the bottom of the fifth, and senior outfielder Tegan Cortelletti pinch ran for her.
In the next at-bat, Encinitas, California, native sophomore infielder Kaitlyn Farley hit a single before Wilkison connected for an RBI base hit that put two runners on base.
Ruberti then cashed in for a two-run double as Ohio State scored its three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning with no outs.
After five innings, the Buckeyes were within one as the Aztecs led 4-3. However, the biggest hit of the game came from Farley in the bottom of the sixth as her two-out single scored two runs and gave Ohio State the lead 5-4.
Paulsen pitched a scoreless final 3 2/3 innings despite allowing four walks and giving up two hits.
Game 4
Ohio State dropped its final game at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic Sunday against Utah (11-4) in five innings 9-1.
The Utes got on the board quickly in the bottom of the first inning from a two-run home run from senior infielder Julia Jimenez for a 2-0 lead.
Otte hit her first home run of the season in the second inning, which gave Ohio State its only run of the game.
The Buckeyes are off this weekend before their busiest stretch of the season March 10-19. Ohio State heads down to South Carolina and North Carolina to play a 13-game, nine-day spring break trip beginning with Canisius and Coastal Carolina March 10-12.
