Purdue Takes Both Games of Saturday Doubleheader

Saturday, May 1

West Lafayette, Ind.

Ohio State

18-15, 0

Purdue

11-23, 0

Ohio State

Purdue

Purdue Takes Both Games of Saturday Doubleheader

5/1/2021 8:03:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Game One: Purdue 4, Ohio State 2 // Game Two: Purdue 7, Ohio State 6 (8)

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Ohio State softball team conjured up some seventh-inning magic in the second game of a doubleheader on Saturday at Purdue but were on the short end of a pair of decisions at Bittinger Stadium in West Lafayette. The Buckeyes (18-16) dropped the first game, 4-2, and were topped in the second, 7-6, in eight innings.

The Short Story
Purdue (12-23) scored once in the third inning and two more times in the third to build a 3-0 lead before Carley Gaskill's two-run home run cut the lead to 3-2 in the fourth inning of the first game. That's as close as the Buckeyes would get, unfortunately, as Purdue secured the 4-2 win to open the day.

In the second game, Ohio State trailed 6-3 in the top of the seventh before a three-run rally forced extra innings. Purdue, however, hit a walk-off double with one out in the bottom of the eight to earn the 7-6 victory.

Game One: Purdue 4, Ohio State 2
Carley Gaskill had the Buckeyes' biggest hit in the opening game on Saturday, connecting on a two-run home run in the fourth inning to cut Purdue's lead to 3-2. It was her second home run of the year.

Purdue would tact on a run in the bottom of the fifth via a sacrifice fly for a two-run cushion and the Buckeyes were able to manage just one base runner for the remainder of the game.

Allison Smith pitched 4.1 innings and struck out six before giving way to Jessica Ross in the fifth inning. Ross did not allow a run in her 1.2 innings of relief.

The Buckeyes managed just three hits against Purdue's Sydney Bates. Those hits came from Gaskill, Ashley Prange and Megan McMenemy.

Game Two: Purdue 7, Ohio State 6 (8)
After a pitching duel in the first game, the bats came out in the second as the two teams combined for 24 hits and 13 runs. Six of Ohio State's 12 hits were for extra bases, including the first career home run for Megan McMenemy and doubles off the bats of Niki Carver, Meggie Otte, Taylor Pack and Kirsten Eppele.

After falling behind 1-0 in the first inning, Ohio State took the lead in the fourth thanks to a solo home run by Otte and a two-run blast by McMenemy. It was a four-hit inning for the Scarlet and Gray as they also got a double from Taylor Pack and a single from Tegan Cortelletti.

Purdue took a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning thanks to a three-run home run from Kaitlyn Brannstrom. The Boilermakers tacked on two more in the sixth on a two-run double to take a 6-3 lead.

The Buckeyes wouldn't go quietly, however, and put together a rally in the top of the seventh tied the game at 6-all. It started with back-to-back doubles by Carver and Pack to make the score 6-4 in favor of Purdue. Then, Kirsten Eppele got the biggest hit of her young career: a one-out, two-run double that tied the game at 6-6.

In Purdue's seventh, the Boilermakers got the lead-off runner on via a walk but a double play – Ohio State's 16th of the year – forced extra innings.

The Buckeyes were retired in order in the eighth and Purdue won the game on Becca Jones' RBI double.

Four players finished with two hits for Ohio State in the second game. Otte was 2-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored while Gaskill, Pack and Carver also had a pair of hits.

Ohio State and Purdue close out their four-game series tomorrow with a single game beginning at noon. It will be streamed live on BTN Plus.