The Ohio State Softball team comes together before the Ohio State-Michigan game on April 9, 2021. Ohio State lost 7-0. Credit: Christian Harsa | Special Projects Director
No. 25 Ohio State softball encountered its most difficult opponents of the season this weekend, struggling to put together much offense in its losses.
The Buckeyes (9-3) bounced back Saturday with a 6-2 win against Southeastern Conference foe South Carolina (8-5), before being blanked by Troy (11-2) 4-0 in the second game of their doubleheader. Ohio State finished the weekend on top by staving off Miami (OH) (3-6) Sunday with a 5-4 victory.
Graduate left-hander Lexie Handley pitched her first losses this season, with her first coming against Virginia Tech Friday, then Troy Saturday. She ended the weekend with a win against Miami (OH), and sophomore righty Allison Smith earned a win as well against South Carolina.
The majority of Ohio State’s offense came in the game against South Carolina, totaling more hits in that game with ten, than the other three games combined, where the Buckeyes produced just eight. Junior utility Taylor Pack led the Buckeyes’ offense in RBIs this weekend with three, all coming off a bases-clearing triple against Miami (OH).
South Carolina
All six runs from the Buckeyes were scored in the top of the third inning, which were credited to Gamecocks graduate right-hander Kelsey Oh.
Junior outfielder Tegan Cortelletti got things going with a bunt single. Freshman designated player Melina Wilkison walked, then senior outfielder Jaycee Ruberti advanced runners while reaching herself off another bunt single.
With bases loaded, senior outfielder Meggie Otte came up to bat and drove in Cortelletti and Wilkison with a single to left-center field. Junior catcher Sam Hackenbracht kept the scoring party moving with an RBI double to score Ruberti.
Junior infielder Avery Clark cleared the basepaths with a single to right-center field to conclude Oh’s outing. At this point in the inning, with only one out, the Gamecocks brought in sophomore righty Leah Powell to relieve Oh.
The Buckeyes would score one last run, by way of a single by freshman infielder Kami Kortokrax up the middle. She drove in sophomore utility Kirsten Eppele, who pinch ran for Clark.
South Carolina threatened a comeback in the fifth inning, scoring two runs off of Smith. Freshman infielder Emma Sellers singled up the middle to score Marissa Gonzalez. Sophomore outfielder Carlie Henderson reached on a fielder’s choice, scoring sophomore infielder Riley Blampied. Smith limited further damage by getting a groundout double play to end the inning.
Handley came on in the seventh with bases loaded to relieve Smith, getting a strikeout to end the game.
Smith earned her third win of the season, going 6 ⅔ innings, giving up four hits, two runs and three walks, while striking out six.
Troy
The Trojans did not take long to get on the board first, and the Buckeyes could not catch up.
Handley got the start in the second game of Ohio State’s doubleheader and struggled from the start. In the first inning, she gave up a walk to junior infielder Kelly Horne, who was driven in by sophomore pitcher Libby Baker’s home run to straightaway center, giving the Trojans an early 2-0 lead.
Troy tacked on another run in the bottom of the third. Handley gave up walks to both Horne and Baker, then freshman utility Taylor McKinney singled to score Horne.
The Trojans added one more insurance run in the following inning. Handley gave up a double to sophomore outfielder Jade Sinness. Horne reached on a throwing error by Kortokrax, which led to Sinness scoring on the play.
Sophomore right-hander Emily Ruck came in to pitch for Handley in the sixth, getting three-straight strikeouts. However, the Buckeyes’ offense could not muster together any runs for a comeback.
Troy’s junior righty Leanna Johnson pitched a complete game, only giving up two hits while reaching double-digit strikeouts with 10.
Handley took her second loss of the season, going five innings while giving up five hits, four runs and five walks.
Miami (OH)
The Buckeyes stifled a seventh-inning comeback by the Redhawks to come out on top.
Ohio State scored first, starting in the second inning. Hackenbracht walked to lead off the inning, with sophomore utility Lindsey Potter coming to pinch run for her.
Pack was hit by a pitch, which moved Potter to second base. Senior infielder Niki Carver singled to left-center field to score Potter, which gave the Buckeyes an early 1-0 lead.
The Redhawks came right back the next inning, taking the lead. Smith started for the Buckeyes and gave up a two-run home run to sophomore infielder Karli Spaid.
Ohio State regained the lead in the bottom half of the frame, first tying it up as a result of multiple errors. Wilkison reached on a fielding error, then scored the next play as a result of a throwing error from Ruberti’s bunt.
Otte and Hackenbracht both walked to load the bases, which Pack cleared with a triple to left field, giving the Buckeyes a 5-2 lead.
Handley came in to pitch in the fourth inning and was cruising right along until the seventh. Junior infielder Allie Cummins homered, then Spaid hit her second home run of the game immediately after to narrow the Buckeyes’ lead to one.
However, Handley got a strikeout and a groundout to end the game and give Ohio State its ninth win of the season.
Ohio State has the next weekend off before traveling to Tampa, Florida, March 11-19 for a week-long trip to play eleven games.
