Ohio State Closes Out Fall Schedule Sunday – Ohio State Buckeyes
10/9/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Oct. 9, 2015
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State softball team will have two more opportunities to play before a home crowd on Sunday, closing out its 2015 fall schedule with a doubleheader against Kentucky and Kent State. The Buckeyes and Wildcats square off at 11 a.m. followed by a 3:30 contest with Kent State. Admission to Buckeye Field, as always is free.
BUCKEYES IN A NUTSHELL
- Ohio State is coming off of a doubleheader sweep against Toledo and Northern Kentucky on the final days of the 15th annual Ohio Collegiate Charity Classic. The Buckeyes were split into two teams last Sunday – Team Scarlet and Team Gray. Scarlet topped Toledo, 10-5, while Scarlet blanked NKU, 11-0.
- Buckeye pitchers were particularly impressive in the circle last Sunday, giving up just four earned runs over 13.0 innings while striking out 10. Freshman Morgan Ray tossed six scoreless innings vs. Northern Kentucky with five strikeouts while Shelby McCombs scattered three hits and allowed just one run in a six-inning effort vs. Toledo.
- At the plate, Emily Clark played in both games on Sunday and made the most of it, going four-for-six with a home run, double and five RBI.
- Senior Cammi Prantl was a perfect four-for-four at the plate vs. NKU with a double and three runs scored.
- Prantl and Maddy McIntyre combined for go seven-for-eight with five RBI and five runs scored for Team Gray vs. NKU. McIntyre was three-for-four with a home run.
IN THE CIRCLE
The doubleheader sweeps on consecutive Sunday’s, Ohio State pitchers – Ray, McCombs, Lena Springer, Shelby Hursh and Katya Duvall – have combined to strike out 30 batters while allowing just four earned runs over 27 innings for a ERA of 1.04. Ray has a nine-inning scoreless streak going in Sunday doubleheaders while McCombs in averaging over a strikeout per inning (11 Ks, 9.0 IP).
INSTANT IMPACT
In addition to getting offensive production this fall from veterans Erika Leonard, Maddy McIntyre and Cammi Prantl, freshmen Emily Clark and Brianna Betschel have both made an impact at the plate:
- Betschel has two triples, six RBI and four runs scored thus far.
- Clark has seven hits, two doubles, one home run and seven RBI.
SCARLET/GRAY GAME REWIND
Team Gray jumped out to a 5-0 lead after two innings and held on for a 8-5 win over Team Scarlet Friday night at Buckeye Field.
Two runs crossed the plate for Team Gray in the top of the first on a Brianna Betschel triple, scoring Taylor White, and RBI double from fellow freshman Emily Clark. In the bottom of the inning, starting pitcher Morgan Ray was able to work herself out a jam with a runner of third by getting Erika Leonard to pop up.
Team Gray used that momentum to tack on three more runs in the top of the second, keyed by a solo home run by Alex Vargas, a double steal that resulted in Megan Choinacky scoring from third and a RBI double by Cammi Prantl.
Team Scarlet got a run back in the bottom of the second on a sacrifice fly from Becca Gavin, but stranded a runner at third to end the half inning. In the third, Scarlet crept to within three, 5-2, when Erika Leonard scored on an error, but Team Gray was able to get two runs back in the top of the fourth. The biggest blows were an RBI double from Prantl, her second on the game, and a sacrifice fly by Maddy McIntyre.
Trailing 7-2, Team Scarlet mounted a rally in the bottom of the fifth thanks to a two-run home run by Leonard, her second long ball in three games this fall. Leonard sent a 3-2 pitch over the right centerfield wall, scoring Anna Kirk, who singled to lead off the inning. Pitcher Shelby Hursh was able to avoid further damage by getting the next two batters to strike out and the third to ground out.
Team Gray scored its eighth and final run of the game on another McIntyre sacrifice fly, and in the final half inning, Team Scarlet scored of Leonard’s single to left field. For the game, Leonard went 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Two other Team Scarlet players – Kirk and Bailee Sturgeon – had two hits.
2015 SUPERLATIVES
- Ohio State shattered its single-season batting average record, finishing at a .348 clip, 15 points higher than the previous record in 2002 (.333).
- The Buckeyes also set single-season records for home runs (75), extra base hits (164) and runs scored (380).
- Shelby Hursh led the Big Ten in saves for the second consecutive year (four).
- Erika Leonard set a Big Ten record with 37 RBI in 23 conference games.
- The Buckeyes led the conference in hitting, finishing a full nine points ahead of the second team, Minnesota.
- McIntyre and Leonard were third and fourth, respectively, in the league in slugging percentage and the second-highest duo.
- Kelly Kovach Schoenly reached the 30-win mark for the seventh-straight season in her nine-year head coaching career.
- Nine Buckeyes earned Academic All-Big Ten honors, including returnees Anna Kirk, Shelby Hursh, Erika Leonard, Maddy McIntyre and Jayla Saibene.
WHAT’S NEXT
The Buckeyes officially open their 2016 season Feb. 12-13 in Baton Rouge, La. at the Tiger Classic. Ohio State faces Pacific and host LSU on Friday, Feb. 12 and then Connecticut and North Florida on Saturday, Feb. 13. The full 2016 schedule will be released shortly.
