Ohio State
6-0
Incarnate Word
1-6
Ohio State Wins Two At The Maverick Invitational – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/13/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 13, 2015
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- Box Score vs. Sam Houston State | Box Score vs. Incarnate Word
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – A walk-off win in the opener and a five-inning rout in the second game highlighted the Ohio State softball team’s first day of the Maverick Invitational, held at Allan Saxe Field on the campus of UT-Arlington. The Buckeyes defeated Sam Houston State, 4-3, in nine innings before rolling past Incarnate Word, 13-1. With the wins, Ohio State is now 6-0 on the year and off to its best start since 2008.
Ohio State 4, Sam Houston State 3 (9 inn.)
Caitlin Conrad hit a walk-off single in the ninth inning as Ohio State outlasted Sam Houston State, 4-3, in its first game at the Maverick Invitational.
Maddy McIntyre got the Buckeyes off to a fast start in the bottom of the first when he hit a two-out single to second base scoring Taylor Watkins, who reached on a double to left field.
In the top of the second, Sam Houston State loaded the bases thanks to an error, single and walk and tied the game at 1-1 on a bases loaded walk. Springer got out of the jam, however, thanks to a strikeout and pop up.
A lead-off home run in top of the third inning by Peyton Webb gave Sam Houston State a 2-1, the lead was short-lived as Maddy McIntyre’s single through the right side scored Watkins, who had reached with her second hit of the day, a single to center field. In the top of the fourth, Sam Houston State got two base runners on thanks to a walk and bunt single, but reliever Shelby Hursh came on to get the final out of the inning, a fly out to right field.
Freshman Taylor White hit her first career home run, a shot to straightaway centerfield with one out in the bottom of the fourth inning to put Ohio State ahead 3-2. The Buckeyes threatened to break the game open in the top of the fifth with the bases loaded and no outs, but a strikeout and groundout ended the threat.
Sam Houston was able to push across the tying run in the top of the seventh on a one-out single to right field that scored Jessica Slater, but the Buckeyes were able to avoid further damage thanks to a groundout to shortstop and a reflex play by Alex DiDomenico to snare a sharply hit groundball back to the pitcher.
Ohio State secured the walk-off win on a RBI single to centerfield from Caitlin Conrad, who scored Bailee Sturegon from third. Sturgeon moved to third on a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt by Alex Bayne.
DiDomenico, the winning pitcher, went 2.2 innings in relief and gave up one hit. Watkins, Prantl, McIntyre, Kirk and White all had multiple hits.
Ohio State 13, Incarnate Word 1 (5 inn.)
The Buckeyes scored eight times on six hits in the bottom of the first, keyed by bases-loaded RBI singles from White and Erika Leonard and a three-run home run from Conrad. The first seven batters of the inning reached base, as Conrad-Watkins-Prantl recorded hits, McIntyre walked, Kirk was hit by a pitch and then White and Leonard singled.
Incarnate Word scored a on a two-out RBI single in the top of the fourth by Lindsey Hood, making the score 8-1, but Ohio State came right back with a five-run fourth inning to put the game out of reach. Kirstie Fehrenbach led things off with an infield single, followed by a double by Prantl, bunt single by Keelia Nester and RBI singles from Bailee Sturgeon, Ashley Goodwin and Erika Leonard.
At the plate, the Buckeyes pounded out a season-high 15 hits, including two each from Conrad, Watkins, Prantl and Leonard. Conrad drove in three runs while Watkins and Leonard each had two RBI. In the circle, winning pitcher Olivia O’Reilly went five innings and gave up just two hits for her second win of the year.
The Buckeyes are back in action tomorrow at 5 p.m. CST (6 p.m. EST) against host UT-Arlington.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: O'Reilly, Olivia (2-0)
L: DuBois, B. (0-2)
Batting:
RBI: Hood, L. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Johnson, T. 1
Batting:
2B: Prantl, Cammi 1
HR: Conrad, Caitlin 1
RBI: Conrad, Caitlin 3 ; Watkins, Taylor 1 ; Prantl, Cammi 1 ; McIntyre, Maddy 1 ; Kirk, Anna 1 ; White, Taylor 1 ; Sturgeon, Bailee 1 ; Leonard, Erika 1 ; Goodwin, Ashley 1 ; Marotti, Maddie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Conrad, Caitlin 2 ; Fehrenbach, Kirstie 1 ; Watkins, Taylor 2 ; Prantl, Cammi 2 ; McIntyre, Maddy 1 ; Nester, Keelia 1 ; Kirk, Anna 1 ; White, Taylor 1 ; Sturgeon, Bailee 1 ; Leonard, Erika 1
SB: Conrad, Caitlin 1
HBP: Kirk, Anna 1
