Fall Finale Set for Sunday at Buckeye Field
10/7/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Oct. 7, 2016
RELATED INFO: 2016-17 Roster | 2016 Fall Schedule | Ohio State Softball | Big Ten Softball | Follow the Buckeyes on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Buckeye fans have one more opportunity to see the Ohio State softball team this fall as it hosts a doubleheader against Marshall and Eastern Michigan on Sunday. The Ohio State/Marshall contests begins at 11 a.m. with the Eastern Michigan game commences at 4 p.m. In between, Marshall faces Eastern Michigan at 1:30 p.m. Admission, as always, is free.
THE BASICS
Marshall at Ohio State | Sunday, October 9 | 11 a.m.
Live Stats | Twitter Updates
Eastern Michigan at Ohio State | Sunday, October 9 | 4 p.m.
Live Stats | Twitter Updates
BUCKEYES IN A NUTSHELL
? This marks the third and final weekend of fall competition for the Scarlet and Gray. Ohio State hosted the 16th annual Ohio Collegiate Charity Classic Sept. 24-25 and then traveled to Kent State for a doubleheader last Sunday.
? Ohio State won 34 games last year and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010. The Buckeyes return six starters and all five pitchers from that team while adding five newcomers to the mix.
? At the plate, senior Alex Bayne, a first team All-Big Ten and All-Region selection, hit .364 with a school-record tying 19 home runs, 49 RBI and 53 runs scored last spring. As a team, Ohio State belted 63 home runs, the fifth most in single-season school history, and was 16-0-1 in games in which homered.
? Emily Clark, a sophomore, hit .324 in her rookie campaign while earning first team All-Region honors at second base.
? Taylor White picked up second team All-Big Ten honors for the first time in her career while hitting .307 with a team-high 15 stolen bases. In 23 conference games, White hit .342, drove in 14 runs and scored 22 times.
? The Buckeyes have a four-member senior class in 2016-17: Bayne, infielder Anna Kirk, pitcher Shelby Hursh and pitcher Lena Springer. Hursh was an all-region selection in 2016, winning 16 games while striking out 199 over 177.1 innings. Kirk has played in 156 over the past three years with 142 starts while Springer had a team-best 2.72 ERA last spring.
STANDOUTS AT KENT STATE
Emily Clark: Clark went five-for-seven on the day with a double, two RBI and a run scored. In the first game, her two-run single in the sixth helped trigger a four-run inning. Later, she reached base safely in all three of her at-bats in the nightcap
Shelby McCombs: A junior from Newark, Ohio, McCombs pitched a complete game last Sunday in the second contest, striking out eight while scattering just four hits and allowing zero earned runs. McCombs is part of a staff that has a 2.20 ERA thus far in the fall.
Lilli Piper: In the second game of last Sunday’s doubleheader, Piper had a key double during a two-run fifth inning that gave Ohio State the lead for good. She also singled in the seventh inning and eventually came around to score.
Anna Kirk: Connected on a pinch-hit two-run home run in the top of the sixth inning of the first game that punctuated a four-run inning.
Amy Balich: Provided the go-ahead RBI for the Buckeyes in the top of the eighth inning of game one vs. Kent State. On the fall, Balich is hitting .417 with five hits in 12 at-bats and two runs scored.
2016 SUPERLATIVES
? The Buckeyes earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, the programs first NCAA appearance since 2010.
? Head coach Kelly Kovach Schoenly picked up her 100th win as Ohio State’s head coach (the fastest to reach that milestone in program history) and her 300th win overall (in 10 seasons as a head coach). She also reached the 30-win mark for the seventh consecutive year.
? Ohio Stats was ranked for five straight weeks in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25 poll.
? The Buckeyes played their first 22 games away from home, winning 15 of those contests (15-7).
? OSU picked up nine wins over teams ranked in the Top 75 of the RPI. Six of those victories were either on the road or at neutral sites.
? The Buckeyes played 12 games against teams that made the 2015 NCAA Tournament with wins in four of those contests, all either on the road or at neutral sites. Specifically, between Feb. 27 ad March 19, Ohio State played seven of 10 games vs. NCAA teams from last year and went 4-3.
? Ohio State won thirteen games in a conference that has six teams ranked in the Top 50 of the RPI and sent six teams to the NCAA Tournament.
? OSU had six walk-off wins and was 16-12 in games decided by one or two runs.
WHAT’S NEXT
The Buckeyes officially open their 2017 season Feb. 10-12 in College Station, Texas at the Texas A&M Aggie Classic. The full 2017 schedule will be released shortly.
