The No. 21 Ohio State Buckeyes softball team defeated Penn State 14-11 Sunday to clinch the series. Credit: Zachary Rilley | Lantern File Photo
The Buckeyes have run-ruled yet another opponent.
This time, Ohio State dominated Dayton on the road Wednesday, 11-2, as each Buckeye batter in the starting lineup recorded a hit.
Ohio State’s victory snapped a five-game Flyers’ win streak.
The Buckeyes, who lead the country in home runs, added four more bombs to extend their streak of hitting multiple blasts in 19 of their last 20 games.
Pitcher Layna Gerhard picked up her sixth win of the season and remains undefeated for Ohio State.
In the top of the first, the Buckeyes hit three singles and capitalized on two Flyers errors to gain a 3-0 lead.
Dayton responded with a two-out, two-run shot from infielder Chloe Wong to cut its deficit to one.
The bottom of Ohio State’s batting order countered the Flyers’ home run, with three consecutive blasts of its own.
In her first career start, Ohio State catcher Hailey Lang notched her first career home run. In the next at-bat, center fielder Skylar Limon hit a second straight solo shot. And right fielder Taylor Cruse hit the back-to-back-to-back homer to give the Buckeyes a 6-2 lead.
With the Flyers threatening to score in the bottom of the second, Cruse ended the frame with a double play, catching a fly out and throwing out another Dayton base runner.
The Buckeyes continued to roll in the third, scoring four more runs, highlighted by Limon’s RBI double.
Ohio State’s fourth home run of the day came from shortstop Kami Kortokrax in the fourth inning, to give the Buckeyes an 11-2 lead.
After holding the Buckeyes scoreless for the first time in the fifth inning, the Flyers needed at least two runs to keep the game going.
However, third baseman Sami Bewick turned a double play — the third of the day for Ohio State — which ended the game, 11-2, in five innings. The Buckeyes’ victory marked their third straight nonconference run-rule.
The No. 24 Buckeyes (34-10-1, 8-5 Big Ten) will end an eight-game road trip and return to their home field to take on Michigan (31-12, 9-4 Big Ten) Friday at 6 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m and Sunday at 1 p.m. All games will be broadcast on Big Ten+.
