Springer, Prantl, McIntyre Power Ohio State over Rutgers – Ohio State Buckeyes

Thursday, May 12

State College, Pa.

Ohio State

33-17-1

Rutgers

24-33

Rutgers

Ohio State

Springer, Prantl, McIntyre Power Ohio State over Rutgers – Ohio State Buckeyes

5/12/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

May 12, 2016

Final Stats

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Behind the pitching on junior Lena Springer and the bats of seniors Maddy McIntyre and Cammi Prantl, the Ohio State softball team opened Big Ten Tournament play with a 5-0 shutout of Rutgers at Beard Field on the campus of Penn State University. OSU is now 33-17-1 on the season.

THE SHORT STORY
Springer stymied Rutgers by allowing just four hits while striking out five and Becca Gavin delivered what proved to be the game-winning hit when she legged out an infield single in the second inning. Those runs were backed up in the third and fifth innings, respectively, by two-run home runs from McIntyre and Prantl.

HOW THE RUNS WERE SCORED
Ohio State made Rutgers pay for a two-out error in the bottom of the second, as Erika Leonard reached base when Meghan Wells dropped a fly ball in right field. The play advanced Ashley Goodwin, who had walked, to third. She came home one batter later when Becca Gavin legged out an infield single to make the score 1-0.

In the bottom of the third, Prantl added to her school-record double total when she lacked a two-bagger off the right centerfield fence. The next batter, McIntyre, then sent a no-doubter over the left field fence on the third pitch of her at-bat for a 3-0 Buckeye lead. It was her fourth home run of the season – second in the last three games – and made her the third 30/30 member on this year’s team.

Prantl played the home run game in the bottom of the fifth inning when he lifted a 1-1 pitch over the left field fence while also hitting the Beard Field scoreboard. The two-run shot, her seventh extra base hit in the last three games, made the score 5-0 in favor of the Buckeyes. It scored Taylor White, who led off the inning with a bunt single down the first base line and then stole second.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
The only serious Rutgers scoring threat came in the top of the fifth when Carly Todd led off the frame with a double to right center. With one out, she was sacrificed over to third, but Springer induced a ground out by Stephanie Huang to Emily Clark at second base that ended the rally. The Scarlet Knights didn’t have a base runner for the rest of the afternoon.

IN THE CIRCLE
Springer, a junior from New Britain, Connecticut, pitched her second gem against Rutgers this year. In the regular season, she held RU to just three hits and today was equally as effective. Springer needed just 83 total pitches for the complete game, allowing just one hit past the third inning. In two starts against Rutgers this year, Springer scattered just seven hits over 14 innings with 12 strikeouts and zero runs allowed.

RED HOT PRANTL
With her two-for-three showing on Thursday, Prantl is 10-for-11 in the last three games with five doubles, two home runs and six RBI. Overall, she leads the team with a .409 average, 70 hits, 20 doubles and a .474 on-base percentage. Her 20 doubles this year is the second most in single season history, four behind Krinon Clark’s 24 in 1994. She also stands fourth overall in career runs scored, just five behind the all-time leader, Alicia Herron (168, 2009-12).

HIGHLIGHTS

Who is hotter than Cammi Prantl right now? Nobody. This HR hits the scoreboard. 5-0 #Buckeyes. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/QWc2ikoSGT

— Ohio State Softball (@OhioState_SB) May 12, 2016

And then @Maddy_Mac30 follows up with this. 3-0 #Buckeyes. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/6nefG0ZPyB

— Ohio State Softball (@OhioState_SB) May 12, 2016

PRANTL POSTGAME INTERVIEW

We talked with @OhioState_SB star Cammi Prantl after the Buckeyes win over Rutgers in the 1st rd of the B1G Tourney. https://t.co/lNTou2Uzy5

— SoftballOnBTN (@SoftballOnBTN) May 12, 2016

TWEET OF THE GAME

You may want to sit down for this Cammi Prantl HR celebration by @OhioState_SB pic.twitter.com/i39dftMh5j

— SoftballOnBTN (@SoftballOnBTN) May 12, 2016

UP NEXT
Sixth-seeded Ohio State advances to tomorrow’s quarterfinals against third-seeded Northwestern (25-25, 15-8). The Buckeyes and Wildcats did not meet in the regular season. First pitch is scheduled for noon and the game can be seen live on BTN.