COLUMBUS — It’s the top of the seventh inning and the game is tied, 4-4, between the Michigan softball team and rival Ohio State. After a nail-biting Game 1, the opportunity for either the Wolverines to split the doubleheader or for the Buckeyes to take the series was on the line.
Just like the first game of the evening, both teams put up a hard fight in Game 2 of a Friday doubleheader. But Michigan (31-14 overall, 9-6 Big Ten) was no match for No. 24 Ohio State’s (36-10-1, 10-5) home run hitting, with the Buckeyes sending four home runs in the last three innings — the last one causing the game to end on a walk-off victory for Ohio State, 7-4.
Since the game remained scoreless until the fifth inning, the first question was which team would get the first run. And the Wolverines answered.
In the top of the fifth inning, with junior second baseman Indiana Langford making it to second base with her signature bunt, sophomore center fielder Jenissa Conway brought Langford home with the home-run hitting she’s known for. From there, the Wolverines found their groove. Putz made her way around the bases once more, but this time, she got her run thanks to a single from redshirt sophomore Lilly Vallimont single. On top of that, freshman pinch runner Cece Thorington, in for Vallimont, clinched another run for Michigan, 4-0.
But when it comes to playing ranked opponents, the one thing Michigan struggles with is holding onto its lead. In fact, losing a hard-fought lead is what bit it in Game 1 just a few hours earlier and what led to its downfall against No. 20 Oregon on April 4 and 5.
Ohio State slowly chipped away at its four-run deficit, with strong and consistent home run hitting. In the top of the fifth inning, Buckeyes center fielder Skylar Limon sent one to right field for Ohio State’s first run of the game, and her second of the night. Then, in the sixth inning, Buckeyes catcher Jasmyn Burns slammed the ball to left field to cut the deficit in half.
But Ohio State had one more in it that inning. After a two-run home run by Buckeyes second baseman Kaitlyn Farley, the game was tied entering the seventh inning, 4-4.
For both teams, the final inning was make or break. The Wolverines went three-up, three-down in the top of the seventh, so they could only hope Ohio State wouldn’t bring a runner home. Instead, on a throwing error, two Buckeyes landed on second and third base. And the final nail in the coffin came from none other than another three-run home run by Ohio State left fielder Hadley Parisien, ending the game, 7-4 and giving the Buckeyes the series over their longtime rivals.
For what has become sort of predictable for Michigan, not only did it lose another lead, but it also lost another game to a ranked opponent. To give the team some credit, the Buckeyes knew how to hit home runs. But, the Wolverines should have been able to prevent their rivals from taking the lead once more, and that’s where the problem lies.
