Buckeyes Win Two At Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic – Ohio State Buckeyes

Friday, February 20

Palm Springs, Calif.

Ohio State

9-1

Fresno State

8-4

Ohio State

Fresno State

Buckeyes Win Two At Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic – Ohio State Buckeyes

2/20/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

Feb. 20, 2015

Final Stats

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PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – The Ohio State softball team rallied for a seven-run deficit to defeat UNLV and hung on for a 3-2 triumph over Fresno State on its opening day of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Palm Springs, Calif. With the wins, the Buckeyes improve their record to 9-1.

Ohio State 10, UNLV 8
Freshman Taylor White had a go-ahead triple in the bottom of the sixth inning as Ohio State ralled for a 7-0 second inning deficit to knock off the Runnin’ Rebels.

White, who went 3-for-3 on the game with three RBI and four runs scored, also added a solo home run in the fifth inning. Junior Jayla Saibene matched White by also going 3-for-3 with three RBI, including a key run-scoring single in the seventh inning to give the Buckeyes a two-run cushion.

UNLV went ahead 7-0 early in the game thanks largely to a five-run second inning that included four hits and two Buckeye errors. In the top of the third, however, Ohio State got on the scoreboard thanks to a UNLV error and two-run single from Caitlin Conard. The Buckeyes scored two more times in the third inning on a two-run double by Saibene down the right field line, making the score 7-5.

White’s solo home run in the bottom of the fifth pulled the Buckeyes within one, 8-7, after UNLV had pushed the lead to two, 8-6, in the top half of the frame. Ohio State’s rally was completed in the sixth inning as Maddy McIntyre walked, Anna Kirk singled to left field, White tripled and Saibene singled up the middle.

Alex DiDomenico came on in the bottom of the seventh to pick up the save, striking out the last batter looking. Lena Springer was the winning pitcher, going five innings while allowing just one earned run. The Buckeyes’ 5-6-7 hitters combined to go 8-for-10 with six RBI and six runs scored.

Ohio State 3, Fresno State 2
Pinch hitter Erika Leonard delivered a key run-scoring single in the top of the sixth inning and Alex DiDomenico struck out the final two batters of the game with the bases loaded in the Buckeyes’ 3-2 win over Fresno State.

The Bulldogs, coming off an 8-7 win over No. 25 Texas earlier in the day, got on the scoreboard first with an unearned run in the bottom of the first inning, but Ohio State quickly responded in the top of the second with the equalizer. A dropped pop up back to Fresno State pitcher Jill Compton during Maddie Marotti’s at-bat allowed McIntyre to score from third base.

The score remained tied a 1-1 until the top of the fourth inning when Kirk blasted a solo home run to left field that just stayed in fair territory. The Buckeyes tacked on the all-important insurance run in the sixth inning as Leonard pinch-hit for McIntyre and sent a 1-2 pitch up the middle, scoring Taylor Watkins, who had reached on a walk and then was sacrificed to second.

In the bottom of the seventh, DiDomenico, in relief of starting pitcher Olivia O’Reilly, walked the first batter and then gave up an infield single. The next two batters struck out, but a two-out walk loaded the bases. The final batter of the game, Paige Gumz, struck out swinging as DiDomenico picked up her second save of the day and third on the season.

In the circle, O’Reilly went 5.1 innings and allowed no earned runs while striking out four. DiDomenico pitched 1.2 innings in relief, striking out three. At the plate, Ohio State had just four hits but limited a potent Fresno State team to just seven hits.

The Buckeyes return to action tomorrow at 12:30 PST (3:30 EST) against No. 12 UCLA.