Ohio State Edges Notre Dame, 3-2

Tuesday, March 11

Columbus, Ohio

4:00 P.M.

Ohio State

18-5-1

Notre Dame

11-13

Notre Dame

Ohio State

Ohio State Edges Notre Dame, 3-2

3/11/2025 7:03:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

Buckeyes improve to 18-5-1 and open Big Ten play this weekend

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State softball team ended a busy five-game, six-game stretch on Wednesday afternoon with a 3-2 victory over Notre Dame that was keyed by some clutch early-game offense and timely defensive plays.

The Buckeyes improved to 18-5-1 on the season with the win while Notre Dame is now 11-13. Ohio State finished its six-game home-opening run with a 5-1 record that included four wins by run rule. The Buckeyes will now be off on Wednesday and Thursday before returning to action on Friday with the Big Ten opener against Nebraska.

How It Happened

Much like they have all season, the Buckeyes got the lead early. Jasmyn Burns' RBI double and a run-scoring ground ball from Kaitlyn Farley gave Ohio State a 2-0 lead in the inning.

Notre Dame responded in the second when Olivia Levitt sent a solo home run over the right-center field wall, cutting the Ohio State lead in half to 2-1.

The Buckeye offense remained quiet again until the fourth inning, when Morgan Frye sent a solo home run of her own to put the Buckeyes up 3-1. It was Frye's fourth home run of the season and her second in the last three games.

In the top of the fifth inning, the Irish answered again with a two-out, pinch-hit RBI single to make the score 3-2. Pitcher Lorin Boutté entered following that at-bat and ended the inning with no further damage.

Despite threatening in back-to-back innings, the score remained 3-2 into the seventh inning. That's when the defense took over. A double play facilitated by Sami Bewick, Kaitlyn Farley and Kami Kortokrax accompanied by diving catch by Skylar Limon for the final out of the game put the Buckeyes back in the win column.

Kennedy Kay got the win for the Buckeyes, her fifth of the year. Kay went 4.2 innings while allowing two runs and striking out one. She was relieved in the fifth inning by Boutté, who picked up her first save of the season after pitching 2.1 scoreless innings.

Buckeye This and That

Heading into today's game, a pair of Buckeyes find themselves with top spots in national rankings. Both Burns and Milliken have ascended the charts with several top-15 numbers. Burns ranks fifth nationally in home runs, sixth in batting average eighth in total bases and is second in slugging percentage.
Milliken is ninth and 11th in RBI in RBI per game, respectively.
Over the most recent six-game stretch, Burns is batting a team-best .588 with seven extra base hits and eight RBI. The only player to drive in more runs over that time is Milliken, who has nine RBI.
Boutte and Kay have pitched 26.0 of the 34.0 innings over the last six games. They've combined to give up seven earned runs and have an ERA of 1.88.

What's Next
Big Ten play starts with an important series against the Nebraska Cornhuskers this weekend. The first two games of the series will count in the conference standings while the third will be considered a non-conference game.

The Cornhuskers come to Columbus with a 19-6 overall record and are on a six-game winning streak. Their most recent win was a 5-4 walk-off triumph over South Dakota State. Single game tickets are available to purchase now, and the game will also be streamed live on B1G+. A link to the live stats is also available on the schedule page at OhioStateBuckeyes.com.

For those interested in purchasing single-game tickets, CLICK HERE. Prices for non-premier games range from $5-$9 before fees. Premier pricing will be in place for a select number of home games this season. 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 serve basis. Children under two years old and younger will be admitted free but must sit on an adult's lap.