Ohio State and Indiana Split a Saturday Doubleheader

Saturday, April 17

Bloomington, Ind.

Ohio State

13-12, 0

Indiana

13-13, 0

Ohio State

Indiana

Ohio State and Indiana Split a Saturday Doubleheader

4/17/2021 7:37:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Game 1: Indiana 8, Ohio State 0 // Game Two: Ohio State 10, Indiana 9

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Ohio State belted four home runs and got a strikeout with the bases loaded in the eighth inning to split a Saturday doubleheader against Indiana. The Buckeyes and Hoosiers wrap up their series tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. in a contest that will air live on BTN.

After dropping the first game of the day, Ohio State (14-12) rebounded in game two, building an 8-2 lead in the fifth inning before Indiana (13-14) stormed back to score seven times in the fifth and sixth innings. The Buckeyes eventually went ahead 10-9 on an RBI single in the top of the eighth inning and thwarted a bases-loaded rally by the Hoosiers in the bottom half of the inning.

Game One: Indiana 8, Ohio State 0 (5 innings)
Indiana broke open a close game in the fourth and fifth innings, scoring five times to come away with the 8-0 victory.

Senior Payton Buresch started in the circle and struck out two batters after giving up a one-out single in the first inning. In the second, Indiana struck with a two-out RBI single and two-run double to take a 3-0 lead. The Hoosiers would tact on two more in the fourth via an RBI double and run-scoring single to take a 5-0 lead.

In the fifth, Skylar Hayward came in to relieve Buresch after a lead-off single.

Hayward would get the first out of the inning via a fly out to center field, but Indiana struck with back-to-back bloop singles, the second one scoring two runs to complete the win.

Ohio State's two hits on the game came from Niki Carver and Taylor Pack, who both singled. For Carver, it was her 100th career hit. Carver is currently Ohio State's active career leader in hits (100), games played (138), home runs (18) and RBI (62).

Game Two: Ohio State 10, Indiana 9 (8 innings)
The bats for Ohio State came out hot in the second game as the Buckeyes truck for four runs before starting pitcher Allison Smith even took the circle. The biggest hit in the inning was a bases-clearing triple by Niki Carver that scored three runs.

The home runs started coming fast and furious beginning in the third inning. Ashley Prange started the assault with a solo shot and was followed on the next pitch by one from Sam Hackenbracht to straightaway center field. Those two shots gave Ohio State a 6-0 lead.

Indiana would counter with two runs in the bottom of the third, but Ohio State answered right back with another Hackenbract home run – this one a two-run shot which was her team-leading seventh of the season – to make the score 8-2 in favor of Ohio State in the top of the fifth.

Indiana wasn't done, though. In the bottom half of the inning, the Hoosiers hit two home runs – a solo shot from Taylor Lambert and a two-run blast off the bat of Grayson Radcliffe to make the score 8-5. Indiana scored once more in the inning on an RBI single to draw to within two, 8-6.

Meggie Otte gave the Scarlet and Gray some insurance in the top of the sixth in the form of a solo home run to increase Ohio State lead to 9-6. In the bottom of the seventh, however, a three-run home run with two outs tied the score at 9-all.

On the extra innings the game went, where Taylor Pack provided the game's biggest hit. In a contest that featured seven home runs, it was fitting that a single just past the outstretched arms of the first baseman scored Meggie Otte to give Ohio State a 10-9 lead. In the bottom half of the inning, Indiana loaded the bases but Buresch got Annika Baez to swing and miss at a 2-2 offering.

The offensive stars in the game were aplenty: Hackenbracht went 2-for-3 with two home runs, three RBI and three runs scored. Carver also drove in three runs while Mariah Rodriguez, Taylor Pack and Meggie Otte all had multiple hits.