Softball: Ohio State clobbered by Northwestern in pair of mercy-rule losses

Tayla Davis
Mon, 16 Apr 2018 01:46:43 +0000
News, Softball, Sports, Buckeyes, Emily Clark, Kelly Kovach Schoenly, lilli piper, Morgan Ray, ohio state, Ohio state buckeyes softball, Ohio State softball, Ohio State softball roster, Ohio State softball schedule, Ohio State softball score, Shelby McCombs, softball

Second basemen Emily Clark makes an off-foot throw to first during the Sep. 24 game
against Wright State. Credit: Gretchen Rudolph | For The Lantern

The Northwestern softball team needed just 12 innings to outscore Ohio State 24-8 and dispatch the Buckeyes in both games of the abbreviated series.

What was supposed to be a three-game series ended up being just two short games due to the weather.

Game One

Northwestern rolled over the Buckeyes with a 10-2 win Friday in the weekend series opener.

The Wildcats entered the fifth inning tied at two, but reclaimed the lead with a three-run frame. But with a three-run fifth inning and a five-run sixth inning, Northwestern stormed ahead and ended the game with an eight-run lead.

Northwestern’s first batter in the sixth inning walked and Ohio State junior pitcher Kat Duvall struck out the next batter. But the Buckeyes walked the following four hitters, scoring two runs. Despite just one hit in the frame, the Wildcats scored five runs.

Senior first baseman Ashley Goodwin led Ohio State with two hits.

Senior pitcher Shelby McCombs knocked in both of the Buckeyes’ runs with a home run in the fourth inning.

Game Two

Ohio State got off to a hot start by scoring four runs in the first inning, but it was all downhill from there with the Wildcats running away to a 14-6 victory Sunday in another six-inning game.

Goodwin launched a three-run home run in the first inning after one run scored on a throwing error. But Northwestern then scored six unanswered runs over the next three innings, kicked off by a solo home run from Lewis in the bottom of the first.

Ohio State scored two more runs on an RBI single from junior shortstop Lilli Piper, but Northwestern piled on eight more unanswered runs over the next three innings before the game was called for mercy rule.

Northwestern did not exactly beat up on Ohio State’s pitching staff. Rather, the Buckeyes proved to be their own worst enemy, walking 11 Wildcats and allowing just nine hits. McCombs, along with her seven walks, also hit a batter while Ray walked four and uncorked three wild pitches.

Ohio State, on the other hand, managed just six hits and four walks against Northwestern freshman Kenna Wilkey in her six innings of work.

Senior catcher Sammy Nettling and Lewis each tied for the team lead with three RBIs. Goodwin was matched the two Wildcats with three RBI while Piper had two.

Up Next

Ohio State will look to get back on track when it hosts Ohio University in a double header at 5 p.m. Tuesday.