Ohio State
19-14, 2-6
Minnesota
20-15, 6-2
Buckeyes Drop Saturday Doubleheader at Minnesota
4/6/2024 8:35:00 PM | Softball
Ohio State will return home for a midweek contest vs. Ohio on Wednesday
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State finished its weekend series at Minnesota on Sunday with a doubleheader, as the Buckeyes fell in game one, 14-6, and then dropped the final contest, 12-11. Ohio State is 19-15 on the season (2-7 Big Ten) while Minnesota improved to 21-15 overall (7-2 Big Ten).
Game One: Minnesota 14, Ohio State 6
The Buckeyes built a 6-2 lead and was ahead 6-4 going into the bottom of the sixth inning, but Minnesota struck for 10 runs in the bottom half of the inning for the 14-6 come-from-behind win.
The hitting highlights for Ohio State included a two-run home run by Taylor Heckman, who finished the game with four RBI (she added a two-run single in the second inning. Kami Kortokrax and Kaitlyn Farley also drove in runs.
Trailing 2-1 after the first inning, the Buckeyes scored three times in the top of the second and got Heckman's two-run home run in the fifth inning. Minnesota, however, countered with a two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth and its 10-run sixth inning included four run-scoring doubles and a grand slam.
Game Two: Minnesota 12, Ohio State 11
Like in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader, Ohio State's bats were hot early and in the middle innings as the Buckeyes jumped out to an 11-3 lead on the strength of a four-run fourth inning and four more runs in the top of the sixth.
Sam Hackenbracht provided much of the power, going four-for-four with two home runs and four RBI in the game. Meanwhile, the top three hitters in the lineup – Tegan Cortelletti, Taylor Heckman and Jasmyn Burns – combined to drive in six runs while collecting five hits.
After a Burns single scored two runs and pushed the Buckeyes lead to 11-3 entering the bottom of the sixth inning, Minnesota scored five times in the bottom half of the inning to close the gap to 11-8. In the top of the seventh, Ohio State was retired in order and Minnesota got a game-tying three-run home run before Addison Leschber's walk-off single with two outs ended the game.
Buckeye This and That
Ohio State's offense produced 17 runs and 23 hits in the two games today. Tegan Cortelletti went 6-for-8 with two RBI and a .750 on-base percentage.
Taylor Heckman had a team-best six RBI on the day to bring her season total to 19. She's batting .333 on the year with a .450 on-base percentage.
What's Next
Ohio State returns home to Buckeye Field on Wednesday for a midweek matchup against Ohio. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m. The game will be streamed live on BTN+ and live stats can be found on the schedule page at OhioStateBuckeyes.com.
Single game tickets are available with prices ranging from $4-$8 before fees. Seating at Buckeye Field is general admission. A limited number of student tickets will be available for free at each game with a BuckID on a first come, first served basis. Children under two years old and younger will be admitted free but must sit on an adult's lap.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Macy Richardson (3-2)
L: Miller, Julia (2-2)
Batting:
2B: Burns, Jasmyn 1 ; Farley, Kaitlyn 1
HR: Heckman, Taylor 1
RBI: Heckman, Taylor 4 ; Kortokrax, Kami 1 ; Farley, Kaitlyn 1
SH: Heckman, Taylor 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Cortelletti, Tegan 3 ; Heckman, Taylor 1 ; Bump, McKenzie 1 ; Farley, Kaitlyn 1
SB: Cortelletti, Tegan 1
Batting:
2B: Kayla Chavez 1 ; Jess Oakland 2 ; Taylor Krapf 1 ; Addison Leschber 1 ; Delanie Cox 1 ; Morgan DeBord 1
HR: Taylor Krapf 1 ; Brooklyn Jones 1
RBI: Kayla Chavez 1 ; Taylor Krapf 3 ; Sydney Strelow 1 ; Nani Valencia 1 ; Delanie Cox 1 ; Brooklyn Jones 4 ; Morgan DeBord 1
SF: Nani Valencia 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kayla Chavez 2 ; Jess Oakland 3 ; Taylor Krapf 1 ; Cameron Grayson 1 ; Sydney Strelow 1 ; Nani Valencia 1 ; Lucy Hooper 1 ; Delanie Cox 2 ; Brooklyn Jones 1 ; Morgan DeBord 1
CS: Taylor Krapf 1
