Spring Break Trip Concludes This Weekend at East Carolina
3/16/2023 8:01:39 AM | Softball
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State softball play is set to play the final five games of its nine-day spring break trip this weekend, as the Buckeyes head to Greenville, N.C. for the Jolly Roger Invite, hosted by East Carolina. The Buckeyes will meet Cleveland State and ECU twice along with a single game against Presbyterian.
Ohio State’s games against East Carolina will be streamed live on ESPN+. Live stats will also be available for all five contests this weekend with links available on the schedule page of OhioStateBuckeyes.com.
The Basics
Ohio State vs. Cleveland State // Friday, March 17 // Noon // Greenville, N.C.
Live Stats // Twitter Updates
Ohio State vs. East Carolina // Friday, March 17 // 5 p.m. // Greenville, N.C.
Watch Live: ESPN+ // Live Stats // Twitter Updates
Ohio State vs. Presbyterian // Saturday, March 18 // 12:30 p.m. // Greenville, N.C.
Live Stats // Twitter Updates
Ohio State vs. East Carolina // Saturday, March 18 // 3 p.m. // Greenville, N.C.
Watch Live: ESPN+ // Live Stats // Twitter Updates
Ohio State vs. Cleveland State // Sunday, March 19 // 9:30 a.m. // Greenville, N.C.
Live Stats // Twitter Updates
Buckeyes in a Nutshell
- Ohio State improved to 12-7 overall with three midweek spring break wins. Those included a doubleheader sweep at Charleston Southern and a 5-4 victory on Wednesday at the College of Charleston.
- The Buckeyes enter the weekend with a .293 team batting average, led by Melina Wilkison, who is hitting .391 on the season and has eight hits in 13 at-bats this week.
- Over the last 10 games, Wilkison is batting .472 with nine RBI. She has hits in each of the last four games.
- Other Buckeyes who are above the .300 mark thus far as Mariah Rodriguez (.342), Tegan Cortelletti (.342), Kami Kortokrax (.339), Hannah Church (.324) and Kaitlyn Farley (.318).
- Farley currently has a seven-game hitting streak, which is tied for the longest of any player this season.
- The pitching staff includes five players who have seen work this season. Junior Allison Smith checks in with a 2.19 ERA and a 6-3 record with one save. She’s struck out 74 batters in 60.2 innings so far.
- Emily Ruck improved her record to 3-4 on Tuesday night with a six-inning performance against Charleston Southern. She has a 3.14 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 35.2 innings.
Spring Break Thus Far
- After dropping a 6-4 decision to Coastal Carolina in the first game last weekend in Conway, S.C., Ohio State has rebounded to win six consecutive games.
- The streak started with a 8-0 run-rule win over Canisius that was highlighted by a perfect game from Emily Ruck, who struck out 12 of the 15 batters that she faced.
- The next day, Ohio State defeated Houston Christian, 5-4, and Canisius, 5-0. A rain-out on Sunday ended the weekend.
- On Tuesday, the Buckeyes took both games of a doubleheader at Charleston Southern, winning 2-1 in nine innings and 13-2.
- On Wednesday, Ohio State scored three times in the fourth inning and held on for a 5-4 win at the College of Charleston.
- Five players with 19 or more at-bats over the last six games are batting .400 or better.
- The Buckeyes’ staff ERA is 1.73. Allison Smith is 3-0 with a 0.28 ERA in 24.2 innings.
Scouting the Competition
- Cleveland State enters the weekend with a 4-15 record and last played last weekend in Huntington, West Virginia at a tournament hosted by Marshall.
- Friday will mark the first meeting between Ohio State and Cleveland State since 2009.
- East Carolina is currently 18-6 with a home game scheduled for Thursday vs. Notre Dame.
- The Pirates are 9-4 at home and hosted a tournament last weekend that included Maryland, Monmouth and Saint Joseph’s.
- The Buckeyes and Pirates have played just two other times in program history with the last meeting coming in 1988.
- Presbyterian brings a 17-6 into this weekend’s action following a midweek loss at South Carolina.
- The Blue Hose started the season 12-0 and have three pitchers on their staff with ERAs under 2.50.
