Ohio State Sweeps Doubleheader from Penn State

Saturday, April 3

State College, Pa.

Ohio State

10-7, 10-7

Penn State

1-16, 1-16

Ohio State

Penn State

Ohio State Sweeps Doubleheader from Penn State

4/3/2021 7:14:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

FINAL STATS: Game 1 // FINAL STATS: Game 2

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The momentum that Ohio State built last weekend in taking three of four games from Maryland traveled with the Buckeyes to State College, as Ohio State swept a doubleheader from Penn State on Saturday to improve to 11-7 overall.

The Buckeyes won game one, 2-1, behind a gem in the circle from Payton Buresch and then collected 12 hits and scored nine runs in a 9-3 triumph in game two. Sam Hackenbracht went 4-for-4 with two home runs and six RBI in the second game to highlight the offensive effort.

Ohio State and Penn State will continue their four-game series tomorrow at noon. The game will be streamed live on BTN. On Monday, the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions wrap up the series with a 1 p.m. game.

Game One: Ohio State 2, Penn State 1
The bat of Carley Gaskill (two hits – one double, one home run) and the arm of Payton Buresch (7.0 innings pitched, two hits allowed) was the winning combination to get the day started. Gaskill hit a double off the top of the right field fence in the third inning and pinch runner Lindsey Potter came around the score later on an RBI groundout by Tegan Cortelletti.

Meanwhile, in the circle, Buresch was in complete control. At one point, she retired 10 straight batters and didn't allow a hit until the bottom of the sixth inning. In the seventh, she gave up a lead-off home run to Penn State's Melody Coombs, but quickly worked around that and retired the next three batters on consecutive ground outs.

Ohio State's 3-4-5-6 hitters – Niki Carver, Ashley Prange, Kaitlyn Coffman and Taylor Pack – all recorded a hit. Gaskill's double and home run were the only extra base hits of the game.

The win for Buresch was her fourth of the season. It was the eighth time in nine starts that Buresch has surrendered two or fewer earned runs.

Game Two: Ohio State 9, Penn State 3
Ohio State found the offense that has been the cornerstone of its wins last weekend vs. Maryland and pulled away for a 9-3 victory that was keyed by Sam Hackenbracht, who went 4-for-4 with two home runs and six RBI.

After recording just two extra base hits in game one, Ohio State was quick to jump on Penn State starter Kylee Lingenfelter in the second game. Meggie Otte blasted a solo home run in the top of the first, and Hackenbracht followed in the bottom of the second with the first of her two round-trippers to left center.

Penn State cut the Ohio State lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the second on an RBI single to center, but a three-run, two-out rally in the top of the third game the Buckeyes even more breathing room with a 5-1 lead. The rally was started when Ashley Prange doubled to left center, scoring Otte, and then continued with a two-run Hackenbracht home run to straightaway center field.

In the top of the fifth, Hackenbracht added her fourth and fifth RBI when she singled to center field, scoring Prange and Tegan Cortelletti. She then finished off her perfect day at the plate in the seventh inning when she hit another run-scoring single to center that scored Cortelletti. Kaitlyn Coffman finished out the scoring with an RBI single to right center to give the Buckeyes a 9-3 lead.

A well-balanced offensive attack saw six players record hits. In addition to Hackenbracht's line (4-4, two HR, six RBI, two runs scored), Cortelletti was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and a pair of stolen bases. Coffman also collected two hits while Prange and Otte added RBI.

In the circle, Allison Smith picked up her team-leading seventh win of the season, pitching a complete game while allowing eight hits to go along with seven strikeouts.