Ohio State Splits Doubleheader With Illinois; Clinches Series Win

Saturday, April 15

Champaign, Ill. (1 p.m. CT)

Ohio State

26-14, 7-6

Illinois

24-19, 3-10

Ohio State

Illinois

Ohio State Splits Doubleheader With Illinois; Clinches Series Win

4/15/2023 8:14:29 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State and Illinois finished their three-game series with a doubleheader on Saturday at Eichelberger Field, as the Illini took game one, 13-9, but Ohio State bounced back for a 9-1 win in the second game to clinch the series. The win, which was Ohio State’s sixth in the last seven games, improves its record to 27-14 overall and 8-6 in Big Ten play. Illinois is 24-20, 3-11.

The Short Story
Ohio State’s bats hit four home runs on the day and registered 18 total hits. After nursing a 2-0 lead through four innings in game two, the Buckeyes scored three times in the fifth and four more times in the sixth to pull away.

Melina Wilkison homered in each game and drove in six runs. Jaycee Ruberti had four hits on the afternoon and Mariah Rodriguez chipped in with three.

Allison Smith (14-8) picked up her second win of the weekend while scattering just four hits and allowing one earned run.

Game One: Illinois 13, Ohio State 9 – Game Notes

The Buckeyes’ bats were able to get off to a hot start, as Ohio State scored four times in the top of the first inning and twice more in the second to grab an early 6-3 lead.
Kami Kortokrax, Sam Hackenbracht and Meggie Otte all had RBI in the first inning and Hackenbracht and Otte picked up additional RBI in the second.
Illinois was able to plate four run in the bottom of the third inning to take its first lead of the game, 7-6, and added one in the bottom of the fifth to go up 8-6.
With nobody out in the top of the sixth, Hackenbracht launched her second home run of the series and sixth of the season to draw Ohio State within one, 8-7.
She finished the game 3-for-4 with a home run, a double and three RBI.
The Illini scored five times in the bottom half of the sixth inning to open up a 13-7 lead.
Melina Wilkison made the score 13-9 in the top of the seventh with her ninth home run of the season. She had a two-hit game and also scored three runs.
Of Ohio State’s 12 hits, four were for extra bases: two doubles and two home runs.
All five pitchers on Ohio State’s roster saw action in the game. Emily Ruck started and went 2.2 innings before giving way to Kennedy Kay, who pitched 2.2 innings. Lexie Paulsen recorded the final three outs in the sixth inning.

Game Two: Ohio State 9, Illinois 1 (6 inn.) – Game Notes

Wilkison stayed hot after her performance in the first game, hitting a solo home run with one out in the top of the first inning to give Ohio State and early 1-0.
It was the third consecutive game in the series that the Buckeyes scored in the top of the first inning.
Ohio State’s run of home runs continued in the top of the third as Mariah Rodriguez got into the act, lifting a solo shot to straightaway centerfield.
The Buckeyes manufactured three runs in the top of the fifth inning to take a 5-0 lead. It started with three consecutive singles by McKenzie Bump, Kaitlyn Farley and Mariah Rodriguez.
Wilkison then had a sac fly to deep center field, Kortokrax followed with an RBI ground out and Rodriguez scored on an Illinois error.
The game got into run-rule territory in the top of the sixth inning thanks to a bases loaded hit by pitch and two-run RBI double from Wilkison. Rodriguez would also score on a wild pitch to make the score 9-0.
The 1-2 tandem of Rodriguez and Wilkson combined to go 4-for-6 with four runs scored and six RBI.
Smith won her 14th game of the season in the circle, scattering four hits over 6.0 innings while striking out three and walking just two.

Series Notes

In its two wins over Illinois this weekend, Ohio State scored 20 combined runs, hit six home runs and allowed just one run.
Since 2013, Ohio State has a 11-6 record against Illinois and has won the series each of the last three times it’s been played at Eichelberger Field.
In the first game on Saturday’s doubleheader, fifth-year senior Meggie Otte recorded her 100th career RBI.
After scoring at least nine runs in each of the three games this weekend, Ohio State is now averaging 6.8 runs per game in 14 Big Ten contests.
Sam Hackenbracht hit .545 with a 1.182 slugging percentage and .615 on-base percentage with two home runs and six RBI.
Smith was the winning pitcher in both Buckeye victories, going 11.0 inning on the weekend with a 1.27 ERA and .189 batting average against.

What’s Next
After going 4-1 away from home this past week, Ohio State returns to Columbus to begin a seven-game homestand on Tuesday when it hosts Youngstown State. Admission and parking is free with first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m.

The game will also be streamed live on BTN+. For up to date information on Ohio State softball, including schedule updates, in-game score updates and recaps, visit @OhioStateSB.