Softball: Buckeyes earn weekend sweep, including no-hitter and top-25 upset

Megan Husslein
Mon, 14 Mar 2022 15:17:35 +0000
Softball, Sports, Alex Vargas, Allison Smith, Amy Balich, Andi Farrah, Ashley Goodwin, Ashley Prange, Avery Clark, Bailee Sturgeon, Becca Gavin, Bri Herschel, Buckeyes, Carley Gaskill, Claire Nicholson, Emily Clark, Emily Ruck, Jessica Ross, Kaitlyn Coffman, Kallie Boren, Katya Duvall, Kelly Kovach Schoenly, Kirsten Eppele, Lexi Handley, lilli piper, Maddie Marotti, McKenzie Bump, Megan Choinacky, Megan McMenemy, Meggie Otte, MJ James, Morgan Ray [and 13 more]

Members of the Ohio State softball team huddle during the Ohio State-Michigan game on April 9, 2021. Ohio State lost 7-0. Credit: Christian Harsa | Special Projects Director

The Buckeyes couldn’t have asked for a better start to their spring break road trip.

Ohio State (13-3) began the weekend with a 6-3 win against Stony Brook (9-5) Friday. The Buckeyes followed up with two mercy rule victories, a 14-0 shutout against Army (5-15) Saturday and 8-0 triumph versus UMass (5-14) Sunday. Ohio State finished the weekend with a 5-0 upset of No. 22 South Florida (22-4) Sunday.

The Buckeyes’ pitching staff was dominant these past four games, only giving up three total runs. Graduate lefty Lexie Handley and sophomore righty Emily Ruck combined to strike out 27 batters in 19 innings pitched. Ruck pitched her first collegiate no-hitter against UMass.

The Buckeyes’ bats were not quiet either. Senior outfielder Jaycee Ruberti reached base safely in 10 of her 12 at-bats and hit .667 with four RBIs and seven runs scored on the weekend. She also reached 100 hits for her career.?

Additionally, senior infielder Niki Carver blasted three home runs, while senior outfielder Meggie Otte and junior catcher Sam Hackenbracht each hit one as well.?

Stony Brook

The Buckeyes’ offensive explosion came in the top of the fourth inning, scoring four runs with two outs to retake the lead, which they would not relinquish to the Seawolves.

Ohio State was down 3-2 in the top of the fourth inning, but that changed when Ruberti singled to score junior infielder Mariah Rodriguez to tie the game.?

Otte proceeded to score Ruberti and freshman infielder Kaitlyn Farley with a triple to center field. The Buckeyes were still not done, with Hackenbracht singling to left field to drive in Otte, making the score 6-3, which would not change for the remainder of the game.

The offense started early, as it usually does for Ohio State, with Hackenbracht doubling down the left field line to drive in Ruberti to take the first lead.

Handley got the start in this game, only having a couple of hiccups throughout her complete game. The first came in the second inning, when junior catcher Corinne Badger reached on a single, and eventually scored on a wild pitch to tie the game, 1-1.

The Buckeyes came right back in the third inning, when junior catcher Taylor Pack doubled to score Ruberti and regain the lead. However, the Seawolves battled in the bottom half of the frame.

Sophomore outfielder Alicia Orosco and sophomore infielder Kyra McFarland both reached on singles to start the inning. Sophomore utility Catherine Anne Kupinski hit a ground-rule double to drive them both in, putting the Seawolves in front.

Handley didn’t give up any more hits after the third inning, going seven strong, giving up six hits, three runs and three walks on the day, earning her fifth win of the season.

Army

Ohio State had its highest-scoring game of the season, coming by way of a 14-0 mercy rule win after five innings against Army.

Once again, the Buckeyes jumped out early with Otte crushing a two-run home run as the second batter of the game, and Carver followed suit three batters later as she hit a solo home run to make it 3-0.?

Ohio State piled on some more in the second inning. Sophomore infielder McKenzie Bump doubled, then scored as a result of a throwing error off a batted ball by junior outfielder Tegan Cortelletti.

Otte singled to center, which ended up scoring Cortelletti and advancing Ruberti to third because of a fielding error. Ruberti then scored when Otte was caught stealing, making it 6-0 after the second.

The offensive eruption came in the third inning, with five runs being scored off four hits. Senior outfielder Kaitlyn Coffman started things off with a single to score Carver. Cortelletti singled to score Bump, Ruberti doubled to drive in Coffman and Otte’s two-RBI single knocked in Ruberti and Cortelletti to rack up the score to 11-0.

After a 1-2-3 fourth inning, the Buckeyes had one last scoring party in the fifth. Otte grounded out to second which scored Bump. Sophomore catcher Hannah Bryan hit a pinch-hit double to score Cortelletti and sophomore outfielder Taylor Heckman, making the final score 14-0.

Sophomore righty Allison Smith earned her fourth win on the season, only giving up three hits in four innings pitched. Ruck pitched the final inning of the game in the fifth, giving up zero hits to complete the mercy rule.

UMass

Ruck pitched Ohio State’s first no-hitter since April 2019, striking out 11 Minutemen in the Buckeyes’ 8-0 mercy rule win against UMass.?

Hackenbracht got the offense going in the first inning with her first home run of the season — a three-run blast that knocked in Otte and Ruberti. Freshman infielder Kami Kortokrax added to the 3-0 lead with a double to right field, which scored Bump.

The Buckeyes got creative in their scoring in the second inning. Cortelletti reached on a single, then advanced to second on a throwing error. She made her way to third base following a groundout by Ruberti. Cortelletti ended up stealing home while Hackenbracht stole second, then third on a throwing error, giving the Buckeyes another insurance run.

Carver led off the top of the third with another solo home run, her second of the weekend.?

Ruberti extended the lead to 8-0 by singling to left field which drove in Farley. Cortelletti also scored on the play as a result of a fielding error, which proved to be the final run needed for the mercy rule to take effect after the fifth inning.

Ruck was unhittable, pitching five innings and only giving up two walks in her 11-strikeout campaign. This is Ruck’s first collegiate no-hitter and the program’s 19th since 1997.

USF

Strong pitching came through once again, as Handley had a terrific outing to lead the Buckeyes to a 5-0 upset against No. 22 USF.

Carver got things started offensively in the second inning by hitting her third home run of the weekend — a solo shot down the right field line.

Ohio State picked back up again in the fifth inning, when junior infielder Avery Clark hit a sacrifice fly to score freshman utility Melina Wilkison, who pinch ran for Carver. Bump also scored on a fielding error, making it 3-0.

Still pouring on in the seventh inning, Cortelletti singled to score Bump, who reached on a double. Ruberti followed with another single to drive in sophomore utility Lindsey Potter, who pinch ran for Kortokrax, scoring the final run of the game.

Handley pitched one of her best games of the season, throwing a one-hit, complete game while striking out 13, earning her sixth win on the year.?

Ohio State has Monday off before heading north to Orlando, Florida, for a game against Central Florida Tuesday at 6 p.m. It will air live on ESPN+.