McIntyre’s Walk Off Home Run Lifts Buckeyes Past Maryland – Ohio State Buckeyes

Saturday, March 26

Columbus, Ohio

Ohio State

17-7, 0

Maryland

7-22, 0

Maryland

Ohio State

McIntyre’s Walk Off Home Run Lifts Buckeyes Past Maryland – Ohio State Buckeyes

3/26/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

March 26, 2016

Final Stats

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Senior Maddy McIntyre sure picked an opportune time to hit her first home run of the season.

Trailing 3-2 with a runner on second thanks to a lead-off walk, McIntyre sent a 1-0 pitch over the fence in straightaway center field, giving Ohio State (17-7, 2-0) a 4-3 come-from-behind win over Maryland (7-22, 0-2) before 1,172 at Buckeye Field on Saturday afternoon.

THE SHORT STORY
Ohio State managed just three hits against Maryland’s Madison Martin, but two of them were two-run home runs. Alex Bayne, who hit a pair of three-run home runs last night, continued to swing a hot bat, connecting on a two-run shot in the bottom of the first inning. Maryland scored twice in the top of the fifth to tie it and then once on a two-out triple in the top of the seventh to take a 3-2 lead. But that set the stage of McIntyre’s heroics.

HOW THE RUNS WERE SCORED
Maryland threatened right from the get-go, but the first two runners on via a walk and infield single. Ohio State’s defense clamped down, however, and got a fielder’s choice and threw a runner out attempting to steal home before starting pitcher Morgan Ray struck out Kristina Dillard to end the half inning.

With that momentum in hand, Bayne gave Ohio State a 2-0 lead with her team-leading 11th home run of the season. In the last two games, she has three home runs and nine RBI while batting .667 (four-for-six) with a .714 on-base percentage.

From there, Martin settled in and didn’t allow a Ohio State hit again McIntyre’s game-winning home run. The Buckeyes were able to get base runners, however, thanks to three Terp errors and three walks.

In the top of the fifth, Cory Schwartz hit a solo home run to left center, cutting the Maryland deficit to 2-1, and a Hannah Dewy single through the right side scored Destiny Henderson, knotting the score at 2-2.

After reliever Lena Springer successfully retired Maryland in order in the sixth inning, Shelby Hursh came in in the seventh and retired the first two batters. An infield single and triple to center field gave Maryland a 3-2 lead, however. In the seventh, Becca Gavin pinch hit and worked a key lead-off walk. Freshman Bri Betschel then sacrificed Taylor White, who had re-entered the game to run, to second.

McIntyre’s home run was her third hit of the weekend to go along with a pair of doubles yesterday. She’s hitting .750 on the weekend with three RBI, four walks and a .875 on-base percentage.

IN THE CIRCLE
Three different pitchers contributed in Saturday’s win. While Hursh picked up her team-leading ninth win of the season, Ray started and struck out six over 4.2 innings. Springer came on in relief for 1.1 innings and didn’t allow a hit.

STARS OF THE DAY
Alex Bayne: 1-3, two-run home run
Maddy McIntyre: 1-2, walk-off two-run home run, two walks, two runs scored

DID YOU KNOW
Saturday was Ohio State’s third walk-off win of the year, following a 2-1 triumph over North Florida on Feb. 13 and a 4-3 victory against Georgia Tech in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. Against North Florida, Jess Machovina drove home Anna Kirk with a RBI single, while Shelby McCombs hit a walk-off home run in the eighth inning against the Yellow Jackets.

For the 14th time this season, Ohio State scored first. It is 12-2 in those contests.

WHAT’S NEXT
The Buckeyes and Terps conclude their three-game series tomorrow at Buckeye Field. First pitch in scheduled for 1 p.m.