Ohio State’s Walk-Off Win Clinches Series Over Rutgers

Sunday, April 9

Columbus, Ohio

Ohio State

23-13, 0

Rutgers

30-14, 0

Rutgers

Ohio State

Ohio State’s Walk-Off Win Clinches Series Over Rutgers

4/9/2023 4:14:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – In a series that had been defined by close games, it was appropriate that it took nine innings for a winner to emerge on Sunday between Ohio State and Rutgers. The Buckeyes got the last big hit, a walk-off single from Kami Kortokrax, to defeat the Scarlet Knights 4-3 and win the series 2-1.

Ohio State improved to 23-13 (4-5 Big Ten) on the season while Rutgers is now 30-14 (7-4 Big Ten). It was the Buckeyes' sixth one-game game in the last nine outings. For the season, Ohio State is 10-4 in one-run games.

The Short Story
After falling behind 2-0 in the top of the third on a Payton Lincavage home run, the Buckeyes fought back to score two in the fourth and one in the bottom of the sixth to take a 3-2 lead. Down to their final out in the seventh, Rutgers was able to push across the tying run on an error to knot the score at 3-3.

Melina Wilkison's one-out triple set the stage for Korokrax, who lifted a ball into left centerfield and out of the reach of the defense for the winning run.

How The Runs Were Scored

Rutgers managed just five hits off of starting pitcher Emily Ruck on Sunday, but Lincavage's fourth home run of the weekend put RU ahead 2-0 in the top of the third inning.
The Buckeyes were finally able to string together some hits in the fourth, as Destinee Noury's double to straightaway center scored Meggie Otte, who reached when she was hit by a pitch.
The next batter, Jaycee Ruberti, singled home pinch runner McKenzie Bump to tie the score at 2-2.
Noury drove in another run in the bottom of the sixth when she singled past the third baseman to score Sam Hackenbracht, who singled two batters prior.
Rutgers scored the tying run with two outs in the top of the seventh, and that's how the game stayed until the bottom of the ninth.
After the first batter was retired, Wilkison extended her hitting streak to eight games with a triple over the left fielders head, putting the winning run in position for Kortokrax.
She took the fifth pitch she saw from Morgan Smith and drove it deep enough to easily score Wilkison.

That and That

The play of the game defensively came in the top of the first inning, as Jaycee Ruberti robbed Morgan Smith of an extra base hit – and most likely one RBI – with a diving catch in left center. She alertly threw the ball into the field to start a 7-6-3 double play to end the half inning.
Over the final two games of the series, Emily Ruck pitched 16.0 innings and allowed just three earned runs while striking out seven and earning two wins.
The junior from Westerville improved her record to 7-5 on the season.
The three games this weekend between Ohio State and Rutgers were decided by a total of one run.
Kaitlyn Farley had two home runs and five RBI on the weekend while hitting .333. She batted in the lead off spot for the second time in as many games on Sunday.
In addition to having a nine-game hitting streak, Wilkison has already reached base in 28 consecutive games.

What's Next
Ohio State had a short turnaround from its series win, as they are back on field Tuesday afternoon for a midweek doubleheader at Penn State. The action gets underway at 4 p.m. and will be televised on BTN.