Ohio State Wins Series at Illinois with Doubleheader Split

Saturday, May 8

Champaign, Ill.

Ohio State

20-18, 0

Illinois

23-16, 0

Ohio State

Illinois

Ohio State Wins Series at Illinois with Doubleheader Split

5/8/2021 5:12:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Final Stats: Illinois 7, Ohio State 2 // Final Stats: Ohio State 2, Illinois 1

URBANA, Ill. – Ohio State found some sixth inning magic in the second game on Saturday's doubleheader and topped Illinois 2-1 to clinch the series with victories in three of four games. The hero at the plate was Ashley Prange, who hit a two-run home run with two outs in the sixth inning. Meanwhile in the circle, Allison Smith pitched her second complete game of the weekend, allowing just four hits over seven innings to secure the win.

The Buckeyes are now 21-18 on the year and head home for their final four games of the regular season at Buckeye Field next weekend. Ohio State hosts Michigan State Friday-Sunday with a single game on Friday, doubleheader on Saturday and another single game on Sunday.

In the first game of the day, Illinois won 7-2 on the strength of a four-run fourth inning that gave it a 6-2 lead.

Game One: Illinois 7, Ohio State 2
Despite taking a 1-0 second-inning led thanks to a sacrifice fly off the bat of Tegan Cortelletti, the Buckeyes surrendered the lead in the third inning and then fell behind 6-2 after Illinois scored four times in the fourth inning.

Mariah Rodriguez continued her hot hitting and connected on her third home run of the season in the top of the seventh. She finished the game 3-for-4 with two singles, a home run and a run scored. Megan McMenemy also had her third multi-hit game of the weekend, going 2-for-3 with a double. Other Buckeye hits came from Meggie Otte and Carley Gaskill.

McMenemy's double in the second inning moved Taylor Pack to third base after she had been hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. The next batter, Tegan Cortelletti, got under a pitch just enough to put it into right field and score Pack on the sacrifice fly.

Illinois took its first lead of the series in the bottom of the third inning via a two-run home run from Jaelyn Vickery. The Illini then struck for four runs in the bottom of the fourth to go ahead 6-2 with key hits coming from Delaney Rummell and Vickery, who each drove in runs with two-out singles.

Payton Buresch went 3.1 innings before giving way to Jessica Ross, who struck out four in her 2.2 innings of relief.

Game Two: Ohio State 2, Illinois 1
A pitcher's dual went to the Buckeyes as Allison Smith kept the Illini at bay before Ashley Prange delivered a dagger in the sixth inning.

Trailing 1-0 and down to its final out in the sixth, senior Carley Gaskill singled through the left side the keept the inning alive. That brought up Prange, who worked the count to 2-2 against Addy Jarvis and then deposited a pitch over the left field fence to put Ohio State ahead 2-1.

Smith worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the sixth and after Ohio State was retired in order to start the seventh, Smith quickly recorded the first two outs in the bottom of the seventh. Illinois, however, wouldn't go quietly. The Illini worked a walk and then a single put runners on first and third for Kelly Ryono. She had a 2-2 count before lining a pitch to Gaskill at shortstop for the final out.

The two teams combined for just eight hits on the game. Ohio State's came from Prange, Mariah Rodriguez, Carley Gaskill and Niki Carver.

The Weekend That Was
Ohio State outscored Illinois 21-9 on the weekend and had four home runs by four different players. Gaskill and Rodriguez both hit over .400 while the star in the circle was Smith, who pitched two complete games and struck out 11 over 14 innings. She gave up just two earned runs and was 2-0 in her starts.