Ohio State sophomore catcher/utility Sam Hackenbracht (24) rounds third base during the Ohio State-Michigan game on April 10, 2021. Ohio State lost 3-1. Credit: Andrew Horne | Lantern File Photo
Ohio State’s five-game winning streak was snapped Tuesday before a bounce-back win and another loss Thursday.
The Buckeyes (14-5) lost as a result of the mercy rule against Central Florida (23-7) Tuesday. They split a doubleheader Thursday, first with a mercy rule win against Lehigh (5-10), then suffered a loss to No. 22 South Florida (23-4).
The three games were highlighted by the pitchers, for better or for worse. Sophomore right-hander Allison Smith and graduate lefty Lexie Handley both struggled against UCF, giving up 11 runs between the two of them. However, Handley rebounded against USF, and sophomore righty Emily Ruck only gave up five hits against Lehigh.
The offensive star during this stretch was undoubtedly junior catcher Sam Hackenbracht, who hit four home runs between the UCF and Lehigh games, heating up to where she was at the end of last season.
UCF
Ohio State could not keep up with UCF’s offensive barrage, as it fell to the Knights 11-3 Tuesday.
The Buckeyes did score first by way of a Hackenbracht home run, her first of the week, to put the scarlet and gray on the scoreboard, 1-0.
Smith got the start and struggled to make it through the first couple of innings. In the first inning, she gave up an RBI double to sophomore utility Jada Cody, then a RBI single to freshman utility Ashleigh Griffin, putting the Knights ahead 2-1.
Hackenbracht tied the ballgame back up in the third inning with one swing of the bat, hitting her second solo home run of the game.
The Golden Knights came right back in the bottom half of the third frame, with sophomore infielder Shannon Doherty hitting an RBI double, scoring Cody and then sophomore utility Kennedy Searcy as a result of a throwing error. Handley came in to replace Smith, but gave up a two-run home run to the first batter she faced, Griffin.
Doherty’s RBI single in the fourth inning extended the Knights’ lead to 7-2. A triple off the bat of freshman infielder Micaela Macario scored two in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Ohio State battled back in the sixth inning, managing to load the bases through walks and a hit batsman. Freshman infielder Kami Kortokrax singled up the middle to score junior utility Taylor Pack. However, this would be the last run scored of the game by the Buckeyes.
The Knights scored two runs in the bottom half of the frame by way of a Griffin RBI single and an error, emerging victorious as a result of the mercy rule.
Both Smith and Handley had rough outings, with the former going 2 1/3 innings, giving up three hits and five runs. Handley went three innings, giving up eight hits and six runs.
Lehigh
Both teams were quiet until the fourth inning, with Buckeye sophomore right-hander Emily Ruck and Mountain Hawk senior lefty Gabriella Nori dueling it out early on.
Ruck bowed first, giving up a leadoff home run to senior outfielder Jaelynn Chesson in the fourth inning. However, that was her only run given up in the game.
The Buckeyes took the lead back in impressive fashion in the latter half of the inning, starting with a Hackenbracht home run, a two-run blast to left center.
Sophomore infielder McKenzie Bump’s bunt scored Pack to stretch the lead to 3-1. The Buckeyes piled on some more runs, with freshman infielder Kaitlyn Farley singling to score Bump, then senior outfielder Jaycee Ruberti singled to score senior outfielder Kaitlyn Coffman.
Bump continued to have an offensive impact in the fifth, tripling to score sophomore utility Kirsten Eppele. Kortokrax singled to left field to score Bump, extending the Buckeyes lead to 7-1.
Hackenbracht sealed the mercy-rule win with another two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning — her fourth home run in the past two games — giving Ohio State the 9-1 victory.
This was Ruck’s first outing since throwing a no-hitter Sunday, and it was a solid follow-up performance, only giving up five hits and one run in an eight-strikeout win.
USF
A pitcher’s duel did not end in the Buckeyes’ favor in their rematch against USF Thursday.
Bulls’ ace Georgina Corrick, with a 0.06 ERA entering the game, squared off against Handley. Ohio State had a hit in every inning except the third and sixth, while USF was held hitless until the sixth frame.
The first run came in the bottom of the third however, as a result of a couple of walks and a fielder’s choice mixed with an error. Redshirt sophomore outfielder Meghan Sheehan reached on a fielder’s choice, and runners advanced, including redshirt sophomore utility Jordyn Kadlub crossing home plate, as a result of an error by Kortokrax.
In the sixth, Handley gave up a walk, then a single to sophomore utility Vivian Ponn to break up the no-hitter. Sophomore catcher Josie Foreman hit an RBI double to left center to start the offensive storm that would come from the Bulls.
Handley walked in a run, then gave up a sacrifice fly to senior infielder Madison Epperson. A fielder’s choice ended the inning, but not before junior infielder Megan Pierro scored to make it 5-0 in favor of the Bulls.
Ohio State put runners in scoring position in the seventh, but could not manufacture any runs. Senior infielder Niki Carver led off with a walk and Kortokrax singled. Following a groundout, Carver and Kortokrax were on second and third, but a strikeout by Coffman ended the game.
Handley threw a total of 126 pitches, including 11 strikeouts and seven walks in her losing performance.
The Buckeyes will finish their spring break trip in Florida over the next two days. They play a doubleheader Friday against Canisius at 9 a.m. and St. Thomas at 11:15 a.m., before the rubber match Saturday at 7 p.m. versus USF.
