Buckeyes Blank Maryland In Home Opener, 5-0

Friday, March 26

Columbus, Ohio

Ohio State

7-6, 0

Maryland

6-7, 0

Maryland

Ohio State

Buckeyes Blank Maryland In Home Opener, 5-0

3/26/2021 6:42:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

COLUMBUS, Ohio – It may have taken nearly 700 days between appearances at Buckeye Field, but the wait was worth it for the Ohio State softball team and a handful of its players who were making their home debuts.

Freshman pitcher Allison Smith gave up just three hits over seven innings and Tegan Cortelletti, Sam Hackenbracht, Mariah Rodriguez and Taylor Pack – all also making their first appearances at Buckeye Field – drove in runs to help the Buckeyes (7-6) secure a 5-0 win over Maryland (6-7).

The Buckeyes and Terrapins will meet again tomorrow for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. The series finale is set for Sunday at 1 p.m. All three remaining games in the series will be carried on BTN Plus.

Smith struck out eight Maryland batters and didn't allow an extra-base hit while only walking one. She was supported with a three-run second inning on offense that was keyed by a bases-loaded single off the bat of Pack, an RBI single from Rodriguez and an RBI ground out from Cortelletti.

While the three runs were all Smith would need, Ohio State added two more in the bottom of the fifth when Hackenbracht hit a two-RBI single up the middle to score Niki Carver and Ashley Prange, who had reached on a hit batter and walk, respectively.

The Buckeyes' nine hits matched a season high. Rodriguez led the way with a 2-for-3 showing with an RBI while Prange, Cortelletti, Carver, Coffman, Pack, Hackenbracht and pinch hitter Spencer Sansom also had one hit. Cortelleti ended her hitting streak to five games.

Smith, from Champion, Ohio, improved to 5-4 on the season while lowering her ERA to 1.41. She's struck out 50 batters in 49.2 innings and had a .187 batting average against.