Softball Loses Heartbreaker to No. 20-Minnesota – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/29/1998 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 29, 1998
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State softball team (11-10-0 overall, 1-2-0 in Big Ten) played a classic 11 inning game with the Minnesota Golden Gophers (26-8-0, overall, 2-1-0 in Big Ten) only to fall short with a 5-3 loss. The game featured women on both teams stepping up with big plays.
Both teams made their initial move in the fourth inning when both schools scored a run.
Minnesota’s Erin Brophy led off the inning with a double. She would score on a one out single by Kate Schwartz.
In the bottom half of the fourth, the Buckeyes answered immediately. With two outs, Jodi Dolan (Sr., Fallon, Nev.) reached base on an error by Gopher shortstop Shannon Beeler. Amy Paumier (Fr., Alliance, Ohio) followed with a single to leftfield to tie the score at one.
The game would remain tied until the ninth inning when both teams would add two runs.
Minnesota’s Shannon Beeler tagged OSU starter Meaghan Robinson (Jr., Naples, Fla.) with a two-run blast over the leftfield wall.
But the resilient Buckeyes would scrap for two runs in the bottom half of the ninth. With one out, Dolan lined a double into right-centerfield. Paumier followed with a walk to put runners on first and second base. Katie Wessendorf (Fr., Waterville, Ohio), continued the rally by lining a double over the head of Minnesota centerfielder Steph Midthun to score Dolan and send Paumier to third base. Jaime Chenevey (Jr., Wooster, Ohio) hit a sacrifice fly to left field to score Paumier and tie the game at three.
The two teams went 1-2-3 in the 10th inning to set the stage for the 11th.
With one out, Gopher Laura Peters singled on a bunt. Steph Midthun immediately followed with an infield single. The two would advance a base on Morgan Holden’s sacrifice bunt. The Gophers would then be given a gift that they could not refuse. With Beeler at the plate, OSU catcher Chenevey let a ball get by allowing Peters to score. Once Chenevey recovered the ball, she fired the ball over the head of Robinson, covering the plate. Shortstop Renae Weigel (So., Coldwater, Ohio), backing up Robinson, caught the ball and threw it to third base in an attempt to pick-off Midthun. The ball caromed off Paumier’s glove, which allowed Midthun to score and give Minnesota a 5-3 lead.
Robinson (3-4) took the loss. She went 10.2 innings, gave up five runs, four of which were earned.
Wendy Logue (11-2) earned the win with 2.2 scoreless innings of relief work.
The Buckeyes will return to the field on Wednesday, April 1, with a doubleheader against Indiana, at 1 p.m. at Buckeye Field.
