Gophers Take Opening Game Of Weekend Series, 7-1

Friday, April 28

Columbus, Ohio

Ohio State

30-16, 0

Minnesota

31-16, 0

Minnesota

Ohio State

Gophers Take Opening Game Of Weekend Series, 7-1

4/28/2023 9:15:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State softball team dropped a 7-1 decision to Minnesota on Friday evening at Buckeye Field in the opening game of a three-game weekend series. The Buckeyes are now 30-16 on the season and 10-8 in Big Ten play and will look to even the series tomorrow at 2 p.m. Minnesota improves to 31-16 overall and 12-6 in the Big Ten.

The Short Story
Ohio State starting pitcher Allison Smith struck out 10 Gophers, but Minnesota was able to use four home runs and an eight-strikeout performance from pitcher Autumn Pease to pick up the win.

Senior Jaycee Ruberti hit a solo home run in the seventh inning – her fourth of the season – and Ohio State outhit the Gophers on the night, 7-6.

How The Runs Were Scored

Minnesota's Sydney Strelow opened the scoring in the top of the second inning with a two-run home run to put the Gophers up 2-0.
That's how it stayed into the third inning, as Jess Oakland's solo home run increased the lead to 3-0 and Natalie DenHartog followed with a solo home run of her own to make the score 4-0.
DenHartog's RBI double in the top of the sixth gave Minnesota a 5-0 and Kayla Chavez hit the fourth Gopher home run to put Minnesota up 7-0.
Ruberti's home run for Ohio State in the seventh inning was just the 11th allowed this season by Pease.

Buckeye This and That

Senior Mariah Rodriguez opened Senior Weekend with a 2-for-4 showing at the plate. Additionally, she collected her 100th career hit in her 130th game.
Melina Wilkison, Meggie Otte, Ruberti and McKenzie Bump had the Buckeyes' other hits.
Ten strikeouts on the night for Smith gives her 199 on the season. She entered the night third in the Big Ten in strikeouts.
Redshirt freshman Kennedy Kay made her Buckeye Field debut and recorded the final two outs in the top of the seventh inning, including a strikeout.
The crowd of 1,224 was the sixth this season at Buckeye Field on over 1,000.

A Saturday Sellout

The second game of this weekend's series is set for 2 p.m. tomorrow.
The game is officially a sellout, as is the series finale on Sunday at noon.
Fans who can't attend can tune in on BTN+ (subscription required) or follow live stats from the schedule page at OhioStateBuckeyes.com.