Softball: Buckeyes leave Sunshine State with two victories

McKenzie Welch
Wed, 21 Feb 2024 00:37:08 +0000
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Ohio State softball defeated the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio, 17-6 in 2023. Credit: Lantern File Photo

The Buckeyes returned to the Sunshine State for THE Spring Games and extended their four-game win streak to six after defeating Coastal Carolina and UC Riverside.

Ohio State (6-1, 0-0 Big Ten) came in hot against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (4-4, 0-0 Sun Belt) with a 6-0 shutout on Friday in Leesburg, Florida.

Junior second baseman Kaitlyn Farley was the first at-bat to get the offense started for the Buckeyes. A ground out and pop fly sent Farley to second base and sophomore catcher Hannah Church to bat.

A few wild pitches from Coastal Carolina’s senior pitcher Raelee Brabham sent Farley home, putting the first points on the board.

Entering the second inning up a point, senior right fielder Taylor Heckman singled to right field to bring in senior outfielder Kirsten Eppele, putting the Buckeyes up 2-0.

After a pitching change from the Chanticleers, the Buckeyes brought in two more runs from graduate shortstop Tegan Cortelletti and Church after several walks got the Buckeyes on base.

The bottom of the fifth gave Ohio State another two runs. Church then tripled, bringing in freshman designated player Jasmyn Burns. A fielding error by the Chanticleers brought in Church for the game’s last run, giving the Buckeyes the 6-0 win.

The Buckeyes carried the momentum into the day’s second game, beating UC Riverside 7-2.

The first two runs went to UC Riverside as junior shortstop Kat Montuya scored on a wild pitch early in the bottom of the first. A walk from pitcher Kennedy Kay in the second inning got junior second baseman Leah Brito on base to send her home just a few plays later.

However, a pitching change from the Buckeyes gave them the edge they needed to get their defense on track to close the inning.

The Buckeyes got on the board in the third inning with an RBI from senior catcher Sam Hackenbracht and a three-run home run from Eppele.

Entering the fifth, Hackenbracht put the Buckeyes up 4-2 after another RBI, which allowed Cortelletti to score, making it a 5-2 game.

The excitement continued when Heckman homered in the top of the sixth, followed by another home run, this time from Eppele in the seventh, ending the game 7-2

The weekend fun did not last long, though, due to severe weather conditions on Saturday and Sunday, canceling the series’ last three games for the Buckeyes.

Ohio State is set to begin its five-game stretch in the Sun Devil Classic beginning on Friday in Arizona. The Buckeyes start the classic playing Texas State and Arizona State, with the first game set to begin at 1:15 p.m. in Tempe, Arizona.