Around the Oval: Softball Goes 3-1 at Invitational, Track and Field Competes at NCAA Championships, Men's Lacrosse Falls to Towson

By Harry Wexner on March 12, 2018 at 3:54 pm
Sade Olatoye throws at NCAA Championships
Ohio State Athletics
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Ohio State 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.

Softball Team Slugs Its Way to Three Wins

The softball team went 3-1 at the Louisville Slugger Classic in California this weekend. 

The Buckeyes started strong with a 7-0 win versus San Diego State on Friday. Junior Lilli Piper got the squad rolling with a two-run homer that made the score 3-0 during the second inning. Senior Ashley Goodwin followed suit in the seventh with a home run that allowed teammate Emily Clark to cash in on a double. 

On Saturday, the team followed up with a 6-3 win versus San Jose State. Lilli Piper once again came in clutch with a two-run hit over the fence to solidify the Buckeyes' lead. The returning unanimous First-Team All Big Ten slugger led Ohio State in with a .421 average, 18 home runs, 53 RBIs and 75 hits last year. With nine home runs after this weekend, she is on track to once again lead the offensive charge for the Scarlett and Gray. 

On Sunday, the team's luck ran out with a crushing 11-0 defeat to third-ranked UCLA. In an afternoon game against Cal State Fullerton, however, the players showed grit and bounced back to secure a 3-1 victory. 

The softball team is now 14-2 on the season. The team will face off against Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles on Tuesday afternoon. 

Track and Field Competes at Nationals

A group of Buckeyes competed at NCAA Track and Field Championships at the Gilliam Indoor Stadium this weekend. While the medal podium was elusive, a number of athletes enjoyed notable success. 

One the women's side, junior Sade Olatoye of Dublin, Ohio demonstrated why she is a three-time All American with a sixth place finish in the weight throw. Olatoye heaved the weight apparatus 22.14 meters to establish her position near the top of the strength hierarchy.

The men's team was lead by senior All-American Zack Bazile, who added to a fourth-place long jump finish to his list of achievements. The Big Ten Champion from Montvale, New Jersey jumped 7.96 meters. 

The men's 4x400m also earned First-Team All-American honors with an eighth-place finish. Asa Burke, Nick Gray, Drelan Bramwell and Andre Jeff ran for a combined time of 3:05.90. 

After a string of close games, men's lacrosse took it to the limit one more time against Towson on Saturday. Unfortunately for the thirteenth-ranked Bucks, Towson emerged victorious in overtime by a 7-6 margin. 

Following a pattern that has plagued the team all the season, Ohio State fell into an early 3-0 deficit. The Buckeyes capitalized on a major momentum swing during the middle of the game, though, and scored five unanswered goals. In the fourth quarter, Towson picked up a pair of quick scores to pull even. Both teams then traded goals to force overtime. 

Towson's victory was in large part the result of outstanding goalie play. Towson converted seven of nineteen shots on goal, while Ohio State scored on only six goals on forty attempts. 

This was the lacrosse teams fourth straight game decided by a single goal margin. The team will attempt to break the streak with a decisive victory at Denver next weekend. 

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