Michigan Sacrifices Late Leads in Both DH Games at No. 24 Ohio State

Friday, April 18

Columbus, Ohio

5:00 PM

Michigan

31-13, 9-5

Ohio State

34-10-1, 9-5

Michigan

Ohio State

Jenissa Conway (Michigan Photography)

Michigan Sacrifices Late Leads in Both DH Games at No. 24 Ohio State

4/18/2025 11:17:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Leah Howard

» Michigan fell 4-3 and 7-4 in its series-opening doubleheader against Ohio State despite outhitting OSU and leading both games late.
» Ohio State scored all 11 of its runs on homers and scored nine runs in the fifth inning or later.
» Jenissa Conway posted five hits and three RBI, including her 16th homer of the season, while Indiana Langford and Lauren Putz both tallied four hits in the twinbill.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The University of Michigan softball team dropped a pair of games to open its series at No. 24 Ohio State, sacrificing late leads to come up short in both games of its doubleheader, 4-3 and 7-4, on Friday (April 18) at Buckeye Field.

Michigan (31-14, 9-6 Big Ten) outhit the Buckeyes in both games but was doomed by home runs. All 11 runs scored by Ohio State (36-10, 10-5 Big Ten) on the day came off the long ball, while all but two of its runs came in the fifth inning or later.

The Wolverines scored four runs in the fifth inning of the nightcap to lead 4-0 midway through the frame. Sophomore center fielder Jenissa Conway broke the scoreless tie with a two-run homer to left field -- her team-best 16th of the season -- after junior second baseman Indiana Langford led off the inning with an infield single. Freshman designated player Lauren Putz beat out another infield single to keep the rally, and Michigan added two more runs on RBI singles to center field.

The top of the lineup led the offense in the twinbill. Conway and Langford posted three hits apiece in the second game. Conway totaled five hits and three RBI on the day, while Langford and Putz both tallied four hits.

Ohio State got one back with a solo home in the bottom of the fifth and tied the game with three runs off a pair of homers in the sixth, including a two-out, two-run shot after a Michigan throwing error extended the inning. The Buckeyes used a bunt single and another error to put a pair of runners on base with no outs then knocked out a three-run homer to left-center to end the game.

Sophomore right-handed pitcher Erin Hoehn (16-3) allowed seven runs -- five earned -- on eight hits and no walks. She struck out four.

The Wolverines fell 4-3 in the opener after outhitting the Buckeyes 9-3 and leading for most of the game. But two of OSU's three hits were two-run homers -- in the fourth and sixth innings -- and Michigan left 11 runners on base, including seven in scoring position.

U-M scored a run apiece in the third and fourth innings to take the initial lead. Putz hammered a one-out double high off the center-field wall in the former frame, advanced on an OSU fielding error and scored with Vallimont lifted a deep sac fly to center field. Conway drove in the Michigan run in the fourth, sailing a double over the right fielder's head to plate senior shortstop Ella McVey from second base.

Ohio State tied the game in the home half of the fourth with a two-run homer to left -- its first hit of the game -- but the Wolverines wasted little time in retaking the lead when sophomore right fielder Ella Stephenson connected with the second pitch of the fifth and smashed it off the building beyond the left-field wall for her seventh homer of the season.

Michigan got out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth, but the Buckeyes came back and took its first lead of the game in their next turn with another two-run homer to a similar spot in left field.

The Buckeye center fielder robbed senior left fielder Ellie Sieler of an extra-base hit with an over-the-shoulder catch to lead off the seventh and OSU used another flyout and a strikeout to complete the 1-2-3 inning and the win.

Senior RHP Lauren Derkowski (11-10) was solid in the circle, posting nine strikeouts and allowing just the three hits, but he struggled with free passes, tying her career high with seven walks.