Softball Sweeps Penn State – Ohio State Buckeyes
4/7/1998 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 7, 1998
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State softball team (16-14-0 overall, 4-6-0 in Big Ten) took two all important conference games over Penn State (13-19-1 overall, 3-7-0 in Big Ten), 6-0 and 4-3.
“We had a little bit of everything this afternoon,” OSU head coach Linda Kalfatis said. “These are two very important conference wins and we will definitely try to build off them.”
In the first contest, the Buckeyes jumped all over PSU starter Tanis Ambelang with four consecutive hits to open the game. Candace Kollen (Sr., Cerritos, Calif.) led off with a single immediately followed by another single by Cheryl Palaroan (Jr., Reno, Nev.). The two would advance to second and third base on a double steal to set the stage for Julie Bauman (Sr., Canfield, Ohio). Bauman would continue the hit parade with a triple to right-center field to clear the bases and give OSU an 2-0 lead. But the Buckeyes were not done. Jaime Chenevey (Jr., Wooster, Ohio) would single to drive in Bauman and Toni Hileman (So., Alliance, Ohio) blasted her first home run of the season to score Chenevey and give Ohio State a 5-0 lead.
OSU would add one more run in the third to bring to score to 6-0. In the circle, Kristi Martin (Fr., La Mirada, Calif.) was fabulous. She pitched six innings of shutout ball and gave up a measly two hits in the process to improve her record to 5-4. Her four strikeouts gave her 65 on the season, which sets a new OSU freshman season record. The old record of 61 was set in 1990 by current Buckeye assistant coach Belinda Cernava.
Ambelang was charged with the loss. Her record fell to 5-7 on the year. In game two, PSU and OSU would battle until the 10th inning before deciding the game. With one out, Bauman singled to centerfield. Chenevey followed with the second out by fouling out to PSU catcher Colleen Kersey. Renae Weigel (Coldwater, Ohio) lined a single down the third base line to advance Bauman to second and Hileman would follow with a walk to load the bases for Jodi Dolan (Sr., Fallon, Nev.). Dolan, who stepped to the plate 0 for 6 on the day, came through in the clutch with a double over the head of the PSU centerfielder Jodi Ricciardi to give the Buckeyes a 4-2 lead.
PSU would answer with a home run by Shannon Salsburg but still came up short, losing the contest 4-3. Martin would again tally the win with five innings of relief work to improve her record to 6-4. She gave up only one hit and one run. She also struckout four to bring her season total to 69. PSUs Jaci Kalp pitched a complete game and was charged with her seventh (5-7) loss of the year.
In the fifth inning, Kollen swiped her fifth base of the season and the 42nd of her career. She is now tied with Kathy Boettcher (1988-91) for the Ohio State all-time stolen base mark.
The Buckeyes return to the field tomorrow when they play host to a doubleheader against Miami (0.) beginning at 3 p.m.
