Around the Oval: Softball Takes Wisconsin Series, Baseball Bests Nebraska, T&F's Dennis Named Glass Breaker

By Harry Wexner on April 2, 2018 at 1:00 pm
Ohio State softball
Ohio State Athletics
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Ohio State excellence is not exclusive to the football field or basketball court. Around the Oval is our way of keeping you informed about the amazing achievements of the other 34 varsity teams on campus.

Softball Bests Badgers

The 24th-ranked softball team began a three-game weekend series versus Wisconsin with a 9-7 comeback win on Friday. After falling behind early, the Buckeyes rallied back with five runs in the sixth inning. Senior Shelby McCombs of Newark, Ohio led the charge with a decisive two-run hit over the fence. Junior pitcher Katya Duvall finished the job with three consecutive strikeouts at the top of the seventh. 

On Saturday, the Bucks and and Badgers were back at it in Columbus. The Badgers got on the board first with back-to-back home runs in the third inning. Ohio State's Emily Clark responded with an RBI, but Wisconsin held on for a 3-1 win. 

After splitting the first two games of the series, the stage was set for a decisive clash on Easter morning. Once again, Shelby McCombs answered the call and led the Buckeyes to victory. Pitching a shutout, McCombs recorded eight strikeouts. McCombs, however, was equally impressive at bat, recording her first career grand slam in the fifth inning. When all was said and done, the Buckeyes won the day 7-0. 

After the pair of victories this weekend, the softball team improves to 21-8 overall and 2-4 in conference play. The team next travels to Rutgers for a three game series. 

Baseball Hammers Huskers in Big Ten Opener

After winning nine of their last ten games, the baseball team took on Nebraska this weekend in a home series. 

On Friday, the Bucks started strong with an early 3-0 lead. The team, however, allowed Nebraska to tie things up in the fourth inning and take the lead in the fifth. Nebraska carried the day 7-3. 

The Scarlett and Gray battled back on Saturday with a 7-4 victory. Despite the convincing final score, the game was far from a blowout.

With the Buckeyes up 5-4 at the bottom on the seventh inning, the Huskers had runners on second and third bases. Sensing the moment was pivotal, coach Greg Beals turned to freshman pitcher Griffan Smith, who showed grace under pressure to retire two opposing batters. After the game, Beals said: "Griffan Smith was the highlight of the game for me. You bring a freshman in, and his first series in Big Ten play with runners on second and third and nobody out, and he gets two big outs for us.”

On Sunday, the Buckeyes and the Huskers matched up for the decisive game of the series. Ohio State vaulted to a dominant 15-6 lead with every batter in the lineup recording at least one hit. Baseball, however, is a game of runs. After letting the Buckeyes score 11 unanswered runs, the Huskers scored nine unanswered runs of their own to bring the score within one. Ohio State reliever Seth Kinker, however, rose to the occasion and fended off Nebraska's late siege. With Kinker on the mound, the Buckeyes were able to clinch victory in a 15-14 slugfest. 

With the win, the baseball team improved to 19-8 this season and 2-1 in conference play. The squad takes on Kent State Wednesday before a road series against Iowa. 

Track and Field's Karen Dennis Named Glass Breaker

Karen Dennis, the director of men's and women's track and field teams, was named one of six 2018 Glass Breakers at The Ohio State University last week. The award, presented by President & Provost's Council on Women, honors women from a variety of fields who "blaze new trails" and "empower other women" to with opportunities. 

Dennis recently made history when she coached the men's indoor track and field team to a Big Ten championship, the team's first in 25 years. As the award recognized, Dennis is "the first female collegiate coach to win a men’s championship." 

In 2012, Dennis hired an all-female staff, perhaps the only such staff in the country. Commenting on that decision, Dennis said: "Losing top recruits because of my gender was insulting when I knew male coaches weren’t better; they were just men and most girls had never experienced or even seen a female coach."

In addition her successful track and field coaching career at Ohio State, Dennis has been a leader of the U.S. women’s national team. She led gold medal winning group at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. 

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