Ohio State Drops Doubleheader at No. 13/14 Louisville – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/20/2012 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 20, 2012
LOUISVILLE, Ky.– The Ohio State softball team dropped two games in a doubleheader at No. 13/14 Louisville Tuesday at Ulmer Stadium to conclude its 2012 spring break trip.
Ohio State will now prepare for its home opener this weekend with a three-game series against Indiana Saturday-Sunday. The Buckeyes (14-10; 0-0 Big Ten) will host a doubleheader vs. the Hoosiers beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday before wrapping up the series at 2 p.m. Sunday at Buckeye Field.
Game Two: Ohio State 2, Louisville 7
The Cardinals (24-0) claimed three runs in the first, one in the second and three in the fifth en route to the victory against the Buckeyes (14-10).
Offensively, sophomore second baseman Melaina Saalfeld posted a double and two RBI, while classmate first baseman Evelyn Carrillo was 2-for-3 with two singles. With one hit, senior captain Alicia Herronimproved her hit streak to a career-high 14-consecutive games and has now reached base safely in 19-consecutive games this season.
Sophomore Melanie Nicholsreceived the loss to fall to 5-3 overall, allowing five earned runs and eight hits, while striking out four UL batters.
The Cardinals scored three runs in the bottom of the first, which included a two-run home run by second baseman Katie Keller.
However, the Scarlet and Gray answered with two runs in the top of the second when Saalfeld sent a two-run, two-out double to left-center, scoring junior Megan Coletta and freshman Shelby Pickett. The hit marked the first double for Saalfeld in 2012 and now has nine RBI.
With the score 4-2, the Cardinals continued their momentum in the bottom of the fifth with three runs – two earned – against Nichols on three hits.
Louisville reliever Caralisa Connell improved to 8-0 overall, limiting the OSU bats to three hits and no runs in the final five innings.
Freshman Olivia O’Reillyrelieved Nichols in the circle in the bottom of the sixth, throwing one inning, allowing no hits with one strikeout.
The Cardinals posted eight hits, while Ohio State collected six hits.
Game One: Ohio State 0, Louisville 7
Freshman designated player Caitlin Conradclaimed her first multi-hit game as a Buckeye, posting two singles against UL senior pitcher Tori Collins, who improved to 11-0 overall on the year.
Senior captain Alicia Herron extended her hit streak to 13-consecutive games after going 1-for-3 at the plate. The hit streak tied her career high set during her sophomore season in 2010. The native of Cypress, Calif., also continued her streak of reaching base safely to 18-consecutive games, while junior Danielle LeBeaunotched a single to put her base streak to 16-consecutive games.
Senior pitcher Mikayla Endicottstruck out five, but fell to 8-7 overall, allowing three earned runs on eight hits against the Cardinals. Louisville (23-0) collected a run in the first and two runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings against the Buckeyes (14-9).
Despite two strikeouts by Endicott in the bottom of the first, the Cardinals scored the first run of the afternoon on a sacrifice fly by first baseman Tanner Fowler.
The Buckeyes had two early opportunities to get on the board, but stranded a runner on second in both the first and second innings, respectively.
The Cardinals found solid contact at the plate in the fourth and fifth innings to and extended their lead to 5-0, scoring on two RBI singles, an OSU throwing error and a sac fly. Senior Vanessa Spearsmade an impressive over-the-shoulder catch to rob extra bases in the bottom of the fifth.
The Scarlet and Gray posted two singles with two outs in the top of the sixth, but could not continue a rally vs. Collins.
Freshman pitcher Olivia O’Reillyrelieved Endicott to begin the sixth inning. In her third appearance, O’Reilly allowed three hits on two runs in one inning of work vs. the Cardinals.
Overall, Ohio State claimed six hits, while Louisville notched 11 hits.
