Softball: Buckeyes earn first Big Ten series win, topping Penn State in a doubleheader

McKenzie Welch
Thu, 18 Apr 2024 02:06:37 +0000
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Junior Kami Kortokrax (27) points to the outfield after making a play at first base for Ohio State during a 6-2 win for the Buckeyes over Dayton Mar. 27. Credit: Caleb Blake | Photo Editor

The Ohio State softball team returned to Columbus Tuesday for a midweek doubleheader against Penn State, a Big Ten foe, winning its first Big Ten series of the season and both games.

The first game was long and high-scoring for both teams. The Buckeyes (23-17, 5-9 Big Ten) won in a lengthy six-inning mercy rule 16-8 against the Nittany Lions (30-11, 9-5 Big Ten).

After a two-and-a-half-hour game, they battled again for the second game of the doubleheader, which Ohio State won 2-1.

The Buckeyes asserted dominance early in the bottom of the first with a pair of three-run homers, one from senior catcher Sam Hackenbracht and the other from senior left fielder Kirsten Eppele, to leave the inning with a 6-0 lead.

Penn State scored one in the top of the third on a Buckeyes fielding error to make it 6-1.

The Buckeyes matched the Nittany Lions’ one run in the top of the third with a lone homer from senior third baseman McKenzie Bump in the bottom of the third.

The Buckeyes kept their bats hot in the bottom of the fourth, adding five more runs as they faced Penn State’s third pitcher of the game.

Junior shortstop Kami Kortokrax made it home on a fielder’s choice to start the inning, followed by a double from Bump to bring a runner home and make it 9-1.

Eppele stepped up to the plate with two outs and tripled to right field to bring two runners in and extend the lead 11-1. She returned home after an RBI single from junior second baseman Kaitlyn Farley before the inning retired 12-1.

Penn State avoided the mercy rule in the fifth inning, starting with an RBI from freshman designated player Audree Mendoza and freshman left fielder Michela Barbanente.

The Nittany Lions loaded the bases before their best hitter, junior second baseman Maddie Gordon, stepped up and hit a grand slam to make it 12-7 heading into the bottom of the fifth.

Kortokrax hit an RBI before the end of the inning to keep the Buckeyes in the game and make it 13-7.

Penn State hit another home run to make it 13-8 in the top of the sixth, this time from senior catcher Gaby Garcia.

The Buckeyes ended the game in the bottom of the sixth in a 16-8 mercy rule after Farley tripled to bring two runners in and then made it home on a single RBI from graduate left fielder Tegan Cortelletti.

“We knew Penn State was a really great ball team. They’ve had an incredible season so far, so we just knew we had to put our head down and get after it the one day that we could, and that’s what we did,” senior pitcher Emily Ruck said.

Penn State started its freshman pitcher Bridget Nemeth again for the second game of the night as she pitched seven innings and allowed only 10 hits and two runs.

“She wasn’t gonna take it easy on us, so we didn’t plan on taking it easy on her either,” Kortokrax said.

The Nittany Lions put the first point on the board with an RBI in the top of the first.

The Buckeyes waited until the bottom of the sixth to tie the game 1-1 after an RBI from Eppele before the inning ended.

Ohio State won in a walk-off after Kortokrax’s RBI in the bottom of the seventh.

The Buckeyes return to the field Tuesday at 6 p.m., as they take on Pittsburgh, which will be streamed on Big Ten Plus.