Ohio State Splits Doubleheader With Rutgers – Ohio State Buckeyes
4/18/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 18, 2015
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COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State rebounded from a 3-2 loss in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader against Rutgers to record a 8-4 victory in the finale, taking the weekend series from the Scarlet Knights and improving to 24-19 overall.
In the game two victory, Shelby Hursh pitched 5.2 innings in relief and gave up just one run on six hits. Caitlin Conrad, Erika Leonard and Taylor Watkins each hit home runs, as the Buckeyes scored eight unanswered runs and held off a late Rutgers rally in the seventh inning.
Game One: Rutgers 3, Ohio State 2
The Scarlet Knights’ Dresden Maddox gave up just one earned run over 6.1 innings and a Buckeye error in the sixth inning scored what proved to be the winning run as Rutgers prevailed, 3-2.
In the top of the first, Rutgers got a two-out solo home run from Jackie Bates that gave it a 1-0 lead. In the top of the fourth, the Scarlet Knights made it 2-0 Chandler Howard hit a RBI single up the middle. Ohio State was finally able to get on the board with a sacrifice fly from Alex Bayne that scored Watkins, but two runners were left on when pinch hitter Jayla Saibene grounded out and Conrad flew out to center.
With one swing of the bat in the fifth inning, McIntyre tied the game on a solo home run to left field, her 12th of the season. She finished the game two-for-two with two walks, a RBI and run scored. The Scarlet Knights went back ahead in the top of the sixth when a throwing error allowed Liz Adams to come all the way around from second base to score.
Cammi Prantl attempted to start a rally in the bottom of the seventh with a one-out double. The next batter, McIntyre, was intentionally walked. Leonard then hit into a fielder’s choice (McIntyre was out at second) and the game ended on strikeout. Rutgers’ Alyssa Landrith, the hard-luck losing pitcher on Friday night, picked up her first save of the season.
In addition to McIntyre’s two hits, Taylor White also went two-for-three (double and bunt single). The Buckeyes’ offense, however, left nine runners on base, including two in the first, fourth and seventh innings. Lena Springer pitched a complete game, giving up eight hits over seven innings and just two earned runs.
Game Two: Ohio State 8, Rutgers 4
The Buckeyes’ offense struck for seven runs over the first three innings to erase an early 3-0 deficit as Ohio State salvaged a doubleheader split and secured the series victory. Leonard and Conrad each hit two-run home runs and Watkins added a solo blast in the offensive effort.
Rutgers struck for three run in the top of the first off starter Olivia O’Reilly, getting a walk, a double, home run, groundout and single to start the game. Hursh then took over and forced a line out and pop out for the final two outs of the inning.
Ohio State quickly matched those three runs in the bottom of the first, starting with a two-out walk to McIntyre. Leonard then homered to right field, her ninth of the year and ninth in the last 15 games. She also had 26 RBI in the span and is batting .490 with a 1.059 slugging percentage. Watkins made it back-to-back home runs with her fourth round-tripper of the year.
Two more Buckeye runs crossed the plate in the bottom of the second off the bat of Conrad, who connected on her 12th home run of the season. The two-run blast to right center scored Bayne, who had reached on a single.
Ohio State’s lead grew to 7-3 in the bottom of the third when Ashley Goodwin set a hot shot down the third base line that Rutgers couldn’t corral. The hit ended up scoring Watkins and McIntyre. Meanwhile, Hursh was settling in, allowing a total of just five baserunners over the second, third, fourth and fifth innings. Behind the plate, Leonard threw out Bates attempting to steal second to end Rutgers’ half of the third.
A key insurance run came across the plate in the bottom of the fourth off the bat of Leonard, who hit a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Conrad. Rutgers threatened in the sixth inning, loading the bases with one out. A force play at the plate resulted in the second out and a swinging strikeout of Chandler Howard (on a 3-2 count) left the Scarlet Knights scoreless in the frame.
Rutgers began the seventh inning with a solo home run to center field for Bates, her second of the game and third of the day. The next batter, Jordan Whitley, singled up the middle, prompting a pitching change. Springer came on to get Melanie Slowinski to fly out to right field, Carly Took to line out to first base and Megan Wells to fly out to center.
The win improved Hursh’s record to 6-4. In addition to allowing just one run, she also struck out four. Leonard was the brightest start at the plate, going two-for-two with three RBI and a run scored.
Ohio State returns to action on Tuesday, April 21 when it hosts Ohio for a doubleheader beginning at 5 p.m.
NOTES
- In 17 conference games thus far, three regular starters are hitting over .400 — Conrad (.426, 13 RBI, seven home runs), Leonard (.417, 24 RBI, eight home runs) and McIntyre (.400, 16 RBI, six home runs)
- One night after McIntyre became the first member of this year’s 40-40 club, Caitlin Conrad joined this afternoon and now has 40 RBI and 40 runs scored. The last time Ohio State had two players reach the 40-40 mark was 2010 (Alicia Herron and Sam Marder).
- McIntyre and Conrad moved into a tie for eighth place on the single-season home run list (12). The record is held by Marder (19, 2009).
- As a team, the Buckeyes have 10 saves on the year, tying the single-season school record set last year.
- Over the last 15 games, Leonard has improved her batting average 125 points and has hits in 13 of those 15 contests.
- Ohio State stole three bases on the day, raising its season total to 46, nearly twice as many as all of last year (24).
- With 13 multiple RBI games, McIntyre is just five more away from tying the single-season school record of 18 set by Wendy Allen in 2002.
- Prior to the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader, the Buckeyes honored their 1990 team, the first squad in program history to win a Big Ten title. Several former players were in attendance, including All-American Shauna Bowman and head coach Gail Davenport, who won 220 games as the Buckeyes coach from 1989 through 1996.
