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.
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).
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The momentum that Ohio State built last weekend in taking three of four games from Maryland traveled with the Buckeyes to State College, as Ohio State swept a doubleheader from Penn State on Saturday to improve to 11-7 overall.
The Buckeyes won game one, 2-1, behind a gem in the circle from Payton Buresch and then collected 12 hits and scored nine runs in a 9-3 triumph in game two. Sam Hackenbracht went 4-for-4 with two home runs and six RBI in the second game to highlight the offensive effort.
Ohio State and Penn State will continue their four-game series tomorrow at noon. The game will be streamed live on BTN. On Monday, the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions wrap up the series with a 1 p.m. game.
Ohio State Earns 9-0 Five-Inning Win over Penn State ohiostatebuckeyes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from ohiostatebuckeyes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.