Buckeye excellence is not exclusive to the football field or the basketball court. Around the Oval is our way of keeping you informed of the amazing things happening with the other 34 varsity sports on campus.
Women's Basketball is Back to .500
The Buckeyes continued their up-and-down season, adding two Big Ten wins to get back even for the season.
This week's success started on Thursday evening when the Bucks traveled to New Jersey for a date with No. 23 Rutgers. The away team went up early and never looked back. New Jersey native Adreana Miller scored a team-high 14 points off the bench while Dorka Juhasz grabbed 13 boards. Only six players saw time on the court. The Bucks turned the ball over 20 times but managed to secure a blowout win by holding the Scarlet Knights to an abysmal 26% shooting from the field.
Yesterday, Ohio State hosted Wisconsin, edging them out 70-68. The Badgers held a 14-point lead in the second quarter where they shot 57% as a team. The home team came out firing out of the break, however, outscoring Wisconsin by ten in the third period to take the lead. Juhasz was a star once again, putting in one of the best performances of the season. She finished with 21 points on 75% shooting with 15 rebounds. Juhasz also native picked up Freshman of the Week honors from the Big Ten after her impressive seven-day stretch.
Dorka Juhsz of @OhioStateWBB was named #B1GWBBall Freshman of the Week for the 2nd time this season after posting 15.0 ppg and 14.0 rpg with a .619 FG% and a double-double as the #Buckeyes picked up 2 conference wins last week: https://t.co/OLAzoQtePv pic.twitter.com/jRpAnJmXBM
— Big Ten Women's Hoops (@B1Gwbball) February 18, 2019
The Buckeyes will be in East Lansing on Thursday night.
Softball Competes with Nation's Best
The Ohio State softball team competed four times this weekend at the ESPN Elite Invitational, amassing a 1-3 record along the way. The team now sits at 4-4 on the season.
The Buckeyes opened the weekend with No. 1/2 Florida State. A two-run fourth inning by the Seminoles opened the scoring, including a solo shot by Florida State's Anna Shelnutt. The two sides traded shots the rest of the way, resulting in a 1-3 loss for the scarlet and gray.
After a contested game against one of the best teams in the country, the Bucks lost 7-2 to No. 8/7 LSU on Saturday. The Tigers built up a 6-0 lead by the end of the third inning, an obstacle Ohio State simply could not overcome. Meg Otte was the lone bright spot against the Tigers, batting two runners in.
Later that day, the Buckeyes put together their first win of the weekend, beating Utah 10-2 in just five innings. The scarlet and gray finally got the bats out and led 9-0 by the end of the third. Emily Clark's third home run of the year got things started to open the game, driving in the first two of Ohio State's four runs in the first inning.
The team ended the weekend on Sunday at the hands of Notre Dame, losing 3-2. The Fighting Irish jumped out to an early one-run lead before the two teams matched each other in the fourth inning, each driving in two runs. The Buckeyes were in it until the final pitch, however, as they had two runners stranded in scoring position in the last inning.
Ohio State will be traveling to sunny California next weekend to participate in the Mary Nutter Classic.
Baseball Opens Season With Seton Hall Sweep
The Buckeyes opened their season with three-straight victories over Seton Hall, winning 4-3, 6-0, 5-3. Ohio State was able to start strong on all three occasions, putting runs on the board to begin each game.
The Buckeyes relied on great pitching for each game. Redshirt freshman Seth Lonsway got it started with nine strikeouts in his Ohio State debut. Freshman Garrett Burhenn, who was awarded Big Ten Freshman of the Week, followed suit, allowing just one hit while pitching eight scoreless innings on Saturday. On Sunday, junior Jake Vance tied his career-high with six strikeouts and Thomas Waning earned a save as the game neared its conclusion.
At the plate, three Buckeyes are hitting .400 or higher. Junior outfielder Dominic Canzone is leading the team in hits, runs, RBIs, home runs, batting average, and on-base percentage after his flawless weekend.
Ohio State will play Florida Gulf Coast tonight in Fort Myers.
