Hackenbracht’s Walk-Off Home Runs Lifts Ohio State over Rutgers

Wednesday, May 10

Champaign, Ill.

TBA

Ohio State

33-19

Rutgers (Big Ten Tournament)

32-25

Rutgers

Ohio State

Hackenbracht’s Walk-Off Home Runs Lifts Ohio State over Rutgers

5/10/2023 6:13:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

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URBANA, Ill. – The 2023 Big Ten Softball Tournament started off with a game on Wednesday that was equal parts dramatic and exciting. Luckily for Ohio State, the result was a 7-4 win that was sealed with Sam Hackenbrach's three-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning.

The win for the Buckeyes (33-19) sets up a quarterfinal game versus third-seeded Minnesota tomorrow at 11 a.m. CT (noon ET). It will air live on BTN and live stats will be available on the schedule page of OhioStateBuckeyes.com.

The Short Story
Hackenbracht's home run was the exclamation point on a day in which she went 4-for-4 with two home runs, a double and five RBI. Her fifth-inning home run tied the game at 4-4 and she also added a double in the fourth inning.

The Buckeyes trailed by two on two occasions, but each time was able to score the tying runs on a two-run home run. The first instance came in the bottom of the third inning, as Mariah Rodriguez blasted a two-run shot to centerfield to tie the game at 2-all, and the other was Hackenbrach's two-run homer in the fifth.

Emily Ruck was the winning pitcher in relief, going 4.1 innings while allowing just three hits and one walk.

How The Runs Were Scored

Two runs came across for Rutgers in the top of the third inning as the Scarlet Knights took a 2-0 lead via back-to-back RBI single and doubles, respectively.
A half-inning later, Mariah Rodriguez hit her fourth home run of the season – a two-run shot to the deepest part of Eichelberger Field – to tie the game at 2-2. Earlier in the inning, Kaitlyn Farley laced a one-out double off the left field wall.
Rutgers retook the lead in the top half of the fifth inning on a bases loaded two-run single by Morgan Smith.
Just like they did earlier in the game, Ohio State answered. This time it was in the form of a two-run home run from Sam Hackenbracht, which was her seventh of the season.
The Buckeyes' big seventh inning started with a one-out walk issued to Melina Wilkson and followed when Kami Kortokorax reached on a fielder's choice and Wilkson was safe at second via an error.
That set the stage for Hackenbracht, who launched the first pitch of her at-bat inside of the foul pole in left field. It was her eighth home run of the season.

Buckeye That and That

Ohio State and Rutgers met four times in 2023 and two of the games were decided in walk-off fashion.
The Buckeyes' walk-off home run was Ohio State's first since Feb. 23, 2018 vs. Wichita State.
In four games this season at Illinois' Eichenberger Field, the Buckeyes have hit 10 home runs.
In those 10 games, Hackenbracht is batting .667 (10-for-15) with four home runs and 11 RBI.
She now has 17 multi-hit games on the season, second only to Wilkison on the team.
Rodriguez's two-hit game moves her average to .342 on the season with 33 runs scored and 27 RBI.

All-Big Ten Honorees
Before the game, the Big Ten announced its 2023 all-conference teams and award winners. Kami Kortokrax and Melina Wilkison each were voted to the first team while Sam Hackenbracht was a second-team choice. Fifth-year senior Meggie Otte was the team's Sportsmanship Honoree.