Hursh, Prantl, Bayne Lead Buckeyes to B1G Sweep of Penn State – Ohio State Buckeyes
4/6/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 6, 2016
RELATED INFO: Box Score: Game One | Box Score: Game Two |Highlights: Game One | Highlights: Game Two | 2016 Statistics | 2016 Schedule | 2016 Roster | Big Ten Softball | Follow the Buckeyes on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Shelby Hursh took care of business in the circle with a no-hitter and the trio of Alex Bayne, Taylor White and Cammi Prantl provided all the offense No. 24 Ohio State (21-8-1, 6-1-1) would need in a doubleheader sweep of Big Ten-leading Penn State (17-16, 6-2) on Wednesday afternoon at Buckeye Field.
THE SHORT STORY
A no-hitter by Hursh and two-run home run by Bayne in the first game lifted the Buckeyes to a 3-0 victory before they turned around the won a back-and-fourth contest in the second game, 12-10, thanks to six runs over the final three innings.
STARS OF THE DAY
Shelby Hursh: 2-0, 10.1 IP, four hits allowed, 11 Ks, no-hitter in game one
Alex Bayne: 4-6, two home runs, five RBI
Taylor White: 4-7, one RBI, two runs scored, one stolen base
Cammi Prantl: 3-6, two doubles, one home run, four RBI
GAME ONE: Ohio State 3, Penn State 0
Hursh tossed her second career no-hitter – and first for a Buckeye pitcher since she herself threw one against Utah Valley on Feb. 16, 2014 – with 10 strikeouts. It is the 15th no-hitter in Ohio State history.
“We had a great plan going in to the day and executed,” said Hursh. “A lot of credit goes to [catcher] Cammi Prantl, coach [Kelly Kovach] Schoenly and the defense behind me for making plays. No hitters never happen just because of one person. It was a total team effort.”
At the plate, Bayne launched her team-leading 13th home run on the season in the bottom of the first, a two-run shot that hit the fair pole in left field and scored Maddy McIntyre, who had reached on a lead-off walk. It was a momentum swinging hit, as Penn State threatened in the top of the first with runners at first and second after back-to-back batters were hit by pitches. Hursh was able to shut it down with a strikeout of Lexi Knief.
From there, Hursh was in total control against on the top offense in the conference. She retired the Nittany Lions in order in both the second and third innings and allowed just one base runner via a walk in the fourth.
Ohio State added an important insurance run in the bottom of the fifth. It all started when Bayne legged out an infield single to shortstop and Prantl followed with a walk. The next batter, Erika Leonard, set a single into center, scoring Bayne and making the score 3-0.
In the top of the sixth, leadoff hitter Shelby Miller was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a passed ball, giving PSU its first scoring opportunity since the fourth inning. A groundout and fielder’s choice ended the threat, setting up a seventh inning that saw Hursh put the exclamation point on her outing by striking out pinch hitter Rebecca Ziegler, Gianna Arrizurieta and Erin Pond.
The Nittany Lions came into the contest batting .327 in Big Ten games and averaging nine runs per contest. Their top hitter, left fielder Macy Jones, struck out four times against Hursh. She came into the game batting well over .400.
Opposing Hursh, Marlaina Laubach – the reigning Big Ten Pitcher of the Week – gave up six hits against a Buckeyes offense that saw three players record multiple hits – Bayne (2-2, two RBI), Leonard (2-3, RBI) and White (2-3, two singles).
GAME TWO: Ohio State 12, Penn State 10
In a see-saw game that saw both teams take the lead, fall behind and then re-take the lead, Ohio State outlasted the Nittany Lions to complete the sweep by stringing together six runs over the final three innings.
Penn State got their first hit of the afternoon on a two-out second-inning single against Buckeye starter Lena Springer. The next batter, Erin Pond, walked, setting the stage for Kristina Brackpool to hit her first home run of the season – a three-run shot that made the score 3-0.
Unfazed, the Buckeyes responded immediately and put a six-spot on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second, highlighted by a two-run home run from Jess Machovina and two-run double off the bat of Prantl. On the game, Prantl went 2-for-4 with two doubles, a home run and four RBI.
Ohio State’s lead would be short-lived, however, as four Penn State runs came across in the top of the third – beginning with a solo home run by Jones to lead off the inning. With the bases loaded, Pond brought three runners come with a double to left center, giving Penn State the lead back at 7-6.
After a 1-2-3 inning for Ohio State in the fourth, the Nittany Lions extended their advantage to 8-6 on two-out RBI single up the middle off the bat of Miller. Hursh then came in to relieve Morgan Ray and forced Alyssa VanDerveer to line out to left field.
In the bottom of the fourth, one swing of the bat by Bayne tied the score at 8-8, as she launched her 14th home run of the season to centerfield and hit the speakers on the video board in the process. Ohio State then went ahead for good in the bottom of the fifth on an infield single from Machovina, scoring White, and RBI single from Bri Betschel that scored pinch runner Megan Choinacky all the way from second.
With two outs and nobody on in the top of the sixth, a severe weather warning delayed the game for nearly an hour and a half. When play resumed, Hursh got Molly Sorenson to groundout to third to end the half inning. In Ohio State’s sixth, Bayne walked and Prantl drove her in with a home run to left center. Those two runs proved to be pivotal, as Penn State mounted a late rally in the top of the seventh.
Lexi Knief started it with a triple to left center and eventually scored on a fielder’s choice that resulted in both the batter and base runners being safe. Brackpool then singled to center, cutting the lead to 12-10. Hursh shut the door on the rally, however, by getting Reina Furuya to pop out to McIntyre at shortstop.
AT THE PLATE
A well-balanced Buckeye offense saw six players record hits. In addition to Prantl’s effort, Bayne went w-for-3 with three RBI, Machovina drove in three runs and Betschel and Leonard each plated one. Five of Ohio State’s 12 hits went for extra bases (two doubles, three home runs).
IN THE CIRCLE
Three different pitchers saw action in the circle, starting with Springer and then going in relief to Ray and Hursh. Hush logged the most innings, finishing out the final 3.1 and allowing four hits and one earned run.
UP NEXT
Ohio State travels to Piscataway, N.J. for a three-game series with Rutgers (17-20, 2-4) beginning on Friday at 3 p.m. The second game of the series will be Saturday at 1 p.m. with the finale on Sunday at noon.
