Timely Hitting Leads Ohio State to 3-2 Win at Michigan State

RELATED INFO

• Follow the Buckeyes on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram | 2019 Schedule/Results | Box Score

EAST LANSING, Mich. – It was another wild outing at Secchia Stadium as Emily Clark’s two-RBI triple in the sixth inning propelled the Ohio State softball team to a 3-2 victory over Michigan State on Saturday afternoon to clinch the series. The Buckeyes (28-14, 11-5 B1G) extend their win streak to four games as the Spartans drop to 15-27 (3-11 B1G).

WHAT WENT DOWN

• Lilli Piper wasted no time going yard on a solo home run in the opening frame.

T1 | GOTTA BLAST!!@PiperSwiper drives the second pitch over center field to get the scoring going!!

OSU 1, MSU 0#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/TJ2bPYjYQX

— Ohio State Softball (@OhioStateSB) April 20, 2019

• The Spartans responded in the home half with a RBI single, locking the game at 1-1.
• Ohio State recorded a 1-6-3 double play in the third before coming back in the fourth with a 3-2-4 GDP.
• Michigan State broke the stalemate in the fifth on a Mackenzie Meech’s RBI single for a 2-1 lead.
• Clark handed the advantage back to the Buckeyes, 3-2, in the top of the sixth. Back-to-back singles by Betschel and Piper set up the second baseman, who tripled down the right field line to score the pair.
• With a 2-2 count, Morgan Ray called game on a swinging strikeout in the seventh.

IN THE CIRCLE

Ray picked up her 13^th win of the season after tossing 2.2 innings of effective relief. She did not allow a run or hit and struck out four of the nine Spartans she faced. Lauren Rice started the game and lasted four innings in the circle. She gave up five hits and two runs with a strikeout. Kat Duvall spent 0.1 innings on the rubber.

BUCKEYE EXTRAS

• Ohio State has won six straight over Michigan State.
• With two hits, Lilli Piper had her 15^th multi-hit game.
• Emily Clark drove in two runs and two hits for her ninth multi-RBI and 14^th multi-hit contests, respectively.
• Megan McMenemy, Ashley Prange, Bri Betschel and Claire Nicholson each had a hit. s
• Betschel is on an eight-game hitting streak.
• The Buckeyes had five extra-base hits – three doubles, one triple and one home run.
• Ohio State has connected on a home run in each of the last 10 games.

UP NEXT

Ohio State goes for the series sweep on Sunday at 1 p.m.