WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Ohio State (18-14) started off its four-game series at Purdue (10-23) on Friday night in the best way possible: with a total team effort on offense, defense and in the circle that added up to a 5-1 victory at Bittinger Stadium in West Lafayette.
The Short Story
Senior Payton Buresch pitched a complete-game three-hitter to secure her eighth win of the season. All the run support she would need could come in one swing of the bat, in the form of a three-run bases-clearing double by Ashley Prange in the second inning. The rest of the way, Buresch was backed up by her defense as she allowed just two hits over her final six innings of work.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State softball team wrapped up its four-game series versus Rutgers on Sunday by finishing Saturday’s suspended game, which turned out to a 13-5 six-inning Buckeye victory, before falling in the series finale, 6-5. Ohio State is 17-14 overall on the season and won three of four games this weekend against the Scarlet Knights (7-25).
The Short Story
Sunday’s action picked up in the bottom of the fifth inning on yesterday’s game that was suspended due to rain. When play resumed, the Buckeye bats struck for nine runs – including a back-breaking grand slam off the bat of Niki Carver – to register a 13-5 series-clinching win. In the second game, Rutgers scored once in the top of the seventh to take a 6-5 and held on for the victory.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State softball team used a 17-hit attack, including some key at-bats in important spots from pinch hitters, and strong pitching from Allison Smith and Jessica Ross to take both games of Friday’s series-opening doubleheader from Rutgers at Buckeye Field.
The Buckeyes won the first game, 7-3, by scoring six times in the fourth and fifth innings before taking game two, 9-1, in five innings. Ohio State improves to 16-13 overall while Rutgers in 6-24.
Game One: Ohio State 7, Rutgers 3
Sam Hackenbracht went 3-for-3 at the plate with a two-run home run while Meggie Otte delivered two key late-game hits: a game-tying two-run home run in the fourth inning and a two-run single in the fifth inning as the Buckeyes broke open a close game to pull away for the 7-3 win.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana took game one of a four-game weekend series on Friday afternoon, 4-1, as the Hoosiers struck for two runs in the bottom of the fifth and one more in the sixth for the victory. Ohio State is now 13-11 on the season while Indiana improves to 12-13.
The Short Story
IU’s Emily Goodin pitched a complete game with eight strikeouts but was matched by freshman Allison Smith, who entered the game in the second inning and fanned six over five innings of work. Indiana, however, broke a 1-all tie in the bottom of the fifth inning RBI single by Grayson Radcliffe and an RBI ground out off the bat of Bella Norton that scored Gabby Jenkins from third. The Hoosiers tacked on a run in the bottom of the sixth via a Brooke Benson RBI single.
How to Follow Along
The first three games of this weekend’s series will be carried on BTN Plus (subscription required). The series finale, set for Sunday at 2:30 p.m., will air live on BTN. Lisa Byington and Elise Menaker will be on the call.
Briefly on the Buckeyes
Ohio State enters the weekend series with a 13-10 overall record.
Since campus-series began the weekend of March 26-28, the Buckeyes are 7-4 with series wins over Maryland (three of four) and Penn State (all three games).
The Buckeyes are hitting .261 as a team and have three starters who all currently check with a batting average of .300 or better: Tegan Cortelletti (.367), Mariah Rodriguez (.311) and Sam Hackenbracht (.309).