Buckeyes Earn 6-0 Shutout Win Over Northwestern In Series Finale

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State snapped Northwestern's 11-game winning streak on Sunday, and used a dominant pitching performance and the home run ball to do so.

Senior Emily Ruck tossed a complete game shutout against the Wildcats, striking out eight batters while scattering six hits. The offense then gave her plenty of insurance in the late innings, as a trio of home runs – including a grand slam off the bat of Kami Kortokrax – provided the spark in a 6-0 series-ending victory.

The Buckeyes are now 19-12 on the season and 2-4 in Big Ten play. Northwestern falls to 19-8 overall and suffered its first Big Ten loss.

The Short Story
A pitchers duel was scoreless late into the game, as Ruck matched Northwestern's Ashley Miller, who entered the game with an ERA of under 1.00. The fifth inning, however, is when the flood gates opened for the Ohio State offense.

The rally started with a Sam Hackenbracht double and following a single from Tegan Cortelletti and walk by Jasmyn Burns, Kortokrax came up with the bases loaded and two outs. Her homer, which came on a 1=1 pitch, cleared the left field fence and nearly hit the Schumaker Center in left field.

Leading 4-0 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Ohio State got two key insurance runs on solo home runs from Destinee Noury and Sam Hackenbracht. Both of their round-trippers went to center field.

That was more than enough for Ruck, who after retiring the first two batters in the top of the seventh, got Kelsey Nader to pop out to third base to end the game.

Buckeye This and That
Northwestern's Miller entered Sunday's game with a 0.78 earned-run average and had only allowed nine earned runs in 81.0 innings this season. With the help of three home runs, the Buckeyes ended up with nine hits and the six earned runs she allowed was a season high.

Sam Hackenbracht's sixth-inning home run was the 42nd of her career and gives her four on the season along with 17 RBI.

Kortokrax hit a grand slam on a Sunday to break a tie for the second time in the last two weeks. On March 17, she gave the Buckeyes a 10-6 lead over Kentucky with a grand slam in the sixth inning. Kortokrax currently leads the team with 27 RBI on the season.

The eight strikeouts today by Ruck were a season high. Her best outing in that category before today was a six-strikeout showing vs. Arizona State on Feb. 23.

The top two hitters at the top of Ohio State's lineup – Tegan Cortelletti and Taylor Heckman – combined to collect five hits in eight at-bats.

The Buckeyes totaled six extra base hits off Northwestern pitchers over the final two games – four home runs and two doubles.

What's Next
Ohio State wraps up a six-game homestand on Tuesday when it hosts Penn State for a doubleheader beginning at 5 p.m. The contests are slated to be broadcast on BTN.

Single game tickets are available with prices ranging from $4-$8 before fees. Seating at Buckeye Field is general admission. A limited number of student tickets will be available for free at each game with a BuckID on a first come, first served basis. Children under two years old and younger will be admitted free but must sit on an adult's lap. 

Tickets can be purchased HERE and the full schedule is available at OhioStateBuckeyes.com.