Softball: Buckeyes finish 1-3 after tough schedule at the ACC/Big Ten Challenge

Autumn Imhoff
Mon, 20 Feb 2023 02:16:35 +0000
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The Ohio State softball team went 1-3 during the ACC/Big Ten challenge in Clemson, South Carolina, over the weekend. Credit: Zachary Rilley | Photo Editor

Ohio State softball came across some of its most difficult opponents on its schedule, struggling offensively to get more runs on the board in Clemson, South Carolina, during the ACC/Big Ten challenge.

The Buckeyes (3-5) bounced back Saturday against Notre Dame (5-4) with a 6-5 win after extra innings before trailing behind No. 5 Clemson (10-0) 5-1 Saturday. Ohio State finished the weekend being blanked by the Tigers 10-0.

Junior pitcher Allison Smith recorded two double digit strikeouts in back-to-back weekends and is checking in with 31 strikeouts in 27.1 innings on the season. Freshman pitcher Julia Miller made her collegiate debut Sunday afternoon and earned her first career strikeout.

Notre Dame

In Friday’s game, both teams struggled to get runners in scoring position until back to back hits from sophomore outfielder Melina Wilkison and sophomore infielder Kami Kortokrax put the Buckeyes in scoring position. Junior infielder Destinee Noury sent two runs in from a single to right field, giving Ohio State a 2-0 advantage.

Smith started for the third time this season where she went four innings, allowing four hits and striking out two. Freshman pitcher Lexi Paulson finished the last two innings allowing two hits and striking out three.

Notre Dame responded quickly during its next at bat, driving in four runs from an RBI double and a three-run homerun from graduate infielder Lexi Orozco giving the Irish the lead 4-2. In the bottom of the sixth, graduate pitcher Payton Tidd hit a three-run homerun, her first homerun of the season, leading the Irish to a 7-2 win.

In Saturday’s game, Notre Dame got on the board quickly, scoring in innings 2-4 giving them a 4-0 lead in the top of the fourth. Ohio State fought its way back and with an RBI? double to left field from freshman catcher Hannah Church, cutting Notre Dame’s lead to 5-3 in the sixth inning.

The Buckeyes kept adding runs and tied the game 5-5 with an RBI in the bottom of the seventh from senior outfielder Meggie Otte, putting the game in extra innings.

In the bottom of the ninth, Bump reached on a fielder’s choice bringing Church up to bat with two outs who sent one deep down the left field line sending Bump home and giving Ohio State the 6-5 victory.

Clemson

In Saturday’s game, Ohio State was the first to get on the board from a third-inning RBI single from Wilkison. Making it the first time this season that Clemson has trailed in a game.

One inning later, the Tigers took the 2-1 lead by two runs aided by an Ohio State error. The Buckeyes didn’t find consistent offense, and behind a three-run home run from Clemson junior pitcher Valerie Cagle, the Tigers won 5-1.

Smith had 10 strikeouts in six innings pitched making it the second time this season earning double-digit strikeouts in a game, and three in her career overall.

In Sunday’s game, the Tigers got on the board quickly hitting three home runs in the first inning giving them the 4-0 lead.

Redshirt freshman pitcher Kennedy Kay came in relief for junior starting pitcher Emily Ruck and recorded the three outs of the first inning. Kay got out of the second inning from a double play, the first of the season for the Buckeyes.

After more runs scored from the Tigers giving them the 8-0 lead in the top of the fifth, Miller came to the mound making her collegiate debut and recorded the final two outs of the inning including her first career strikeout.

Clemson’s two RBI’s in the top of the fifth gave them the 10-0 lead and per the NCAA’s run-rule, the game ended at the end of the fifth after Ohio State failed to get runs on the board.

Ohio State will continue on the road next weekend to Palm Springs, California, at one of the showcase events in college softball: the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic to play four games.

The Buckeyes face Cal State Northridge at 8:30 p.m. Friday, Oregon State at noon Saturday, San Diego State at 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Utah to close out the weekend Sunday at 9 a.m.