Needing to rebound after a a rough Big Ten opening weekend against the Iowa Hawkeyes, the Ohio State Women's Softball program evened their record at 2-2 in Big Ten Play by sweeping a Saturday doubleheader against the Golden Gophers in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
In the first game, the bats came alive for the Buckeyes. The Scarlet and Gray got on the board in the top of the third inning when Julia Pecina scored from third on a wild pitch by Minnesota pitcher Alyssa Koch. Ohio State would then add a second run in that inning when Brittany Mills scored from third on a Brittany Goodchild rbi single, but that was only the beginning of the soon-to-be Buckeye offensive onslaught.
In the top of the fourth, it was Pecina again coming up big for her ballclub as she knocked in Buckeye catcher Melissa Rennie to make 3-0 in favor of the Buckeyes.Three more runs would cross the plate for Ohio State in the top of the fifth inning when Evelyn Carrillo drew a bases loaded walk, followed by Rennie knocking in Goodchild on an rbi groundout and an rbi single by Buckeye third baseman Meghan Colletta.
An Alicia Herron rbi double, a Colletta sacrifice fly, and a Melaina Saalfield two-run rbi double in the sixth inning rounded out the scoring for Ohio State who out-hit Minnesota in the first game 11-1.
Karisa Medrano, the Buckeye righthander from Albuquerque, New Mexico, had an excellent game in the circle for Ohio State as she shut out the Golden Gophers for five innings on one hit while striking out three and walking five on her way to picking up her third win of the season.
In the second game, the Buckeyes fell behind early, but were able to produce a stunning rally to complete the series sweep.
The Scarlet and Gray struck first in the top of the first when Carrillo knocked in Dee Dee Hillman on an rbi single to left center. That lead would be short-lived, however, as Minnesota went on to score two in the first, one in the second, and two in the third to build a commanding 5-1 lead.
In the seventh inning, the Buckeye bats awakened and left a mark that Minnesota pitching won't soon forget. Pecina, a major offensive contrbutor in game 1, started the inning off with a lead-off double to centerfield. She would come around to score on an rbi triple by Mills. An rbi single by Goodchild and a walk issued to Herron soon followed. After a Carrillo groundout advanced both Goodchild and Herron into scoring position, Wellington, Ohio native Melissa Rennie connected for a two-rbi single to tie the game at 5 apiece. The next batter,Meghan Coletta, bashed a two-run home run to center field to give the Buckeyes a 7-5 advantage, which held up as another win on the day for Ohio State.
It was Medrano (4-10) picking up the victory again for the Scarlet and Gray as she relieved Audrey Plant in the second and went on to limit Minnesota to two runs on four hits while striking out four and walking four in 5 2/3 innings pitched.
The Buckeyes will back at it on Wednesday evening as they get set to host the Pittsburgh Panthers in a mid-week doubleheader with the first game expected to start at 4:00 pm EST at Buckeye Field.
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