Buckeye Bats Come Alive in 10-2 Win over North Carolina

Saturday, February 18

Chapel Hill, N.C.

Ohio State

4-3

North Carolina

5-4

North Carolina

Ohio State

Buckeye Bats Come Alive in 10-2 Win over North Carolina

2/18/2017 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

Feb. 18, 2017

Final Stats

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Ohio State’s offense erupted for six two-out runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to secure a 10-2 run-rule victory over North Carolina on Saturday as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. With the win, the Buckeyes are 4-3 on the season while UNC falls to 5-4.

THE SHORT STORY
A 11-hit attack was led by the top of Ohio State’s order, as Bailee Sturgeon, Alex Bayne, Emily Clark and Lilli Piper combined to go eight-for-15 with six RBI and seven runs scored. Sturgeon started the sixth-inning rally with a RBI single up the middle and that was followed by a Piper double, two-run single from Clark and walk-off two-run single from Ashley Goodwin.

HOW THE RUNS WERE SCORED
North Carolina was first on the scoreboard in the top of the second as Katelyn Shifflet doubled off the center field wall, scoring pinch runner Hailey Cole, who came in after Berlynne Delamora walked to start the inning. That hit, however, would be one of just four on the afternoon that Shelby Hursh surrendered. The senior, who improved to 4-1, struck out four over six innings while scattering the four hits.

In the bottom of the third, a three-spot on the scoreboard gave the Buckeyes the lead for good. It started with Sturgeon reaching and then eventually coming around to score on a single off the bat of Piper. Clark’s RBI single the left center then scored Bayne from third and another run was tacked on courtesy of an Anna Kirk sacrifice fly.

Junior Taylor White connected on her first home run of the season, a towering shot to left center, in the bottom of the fourth to make the score 4-1. UNC would draw to within two, 4-2, on Destiny DeBerry’s run-scoring double, but further damage was prevented when Hursh got Leah Murray to line out to short stop with a runner in scoring position.

After getting a 4-6-3 double play to end the top of the sixth, Ohio State put the game out of reach with a flurry on run-scoring hits in the bottom of the inning that led to the walk-off victory. It started and ended with the same person – Goodwin. She led off by reaching on a fielding error at shortstop and would be pinch run for by Andi Farrah. Farrah ended up scoring on a RBI single from Sturgeon, making the score 5-2. The next batter – Bayne – singled up the middle and Piper followed with a double that scored Sturgeon. Clark then got the biggest hit of the inning, a two-run single. Kirk doubled, Becca Gavin placed down a perfect bunt that allowed the bases to be loaded and then Goodwin ended the game with a two-run single to left field.

IN THE CIRCLE
Hursh was in command the entire afternoon, giving up just two extra base hits while getting two inning-ending strikeouts and the critical double play in the sixth inning. She was complemented behind the plate by Clark, who thwarted an early UNC rally by throwing out a runner attempting to steal second in the top of the first.

STARS OF THE DAY
Clark: 3-4, three RBI, one run scored
Bayne: 2-3, double, walk, two runs scored
Piper: 2-4, double, two RBI, two runs scored

DID YOU KNOW
• Clark extended her hitting streak to six games and over the course of this weekend is batting .600 with a home run and five RBI.
• Five players with at least seven at bats are hitting at a .400 or better clip this weekend.
• The Buckeyes were 6-for-11 with runners in scoring position (.545) today and seven-of-13 with two outs (.538).

WHAT’S NEXT
Ohio State concludes play at the ACC/Big Ten Challenge tomorrow when it face Louisville at 10 a.m. at Anderson Stadium on the campus of North Carolina.