Softball Loses a Pair to Long Beach State – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 21, 1999
Long Beach, Calif. – The Ohio State softball team (7-8 overall, 0-0 in Big Ten) opened their trip to California with a pair of losses to Long Beach State. The 49ers swept the doubleheader, 4-1 and 3-0.%^$
%^$In the first game, Long Beach State jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. %^$
%^$In the top of the fourth inning, OSU responded to tie the contest. Holly English (So., Akron, Ohio) led off with an infield single. She advanced to second off a bunt single by Cheryl Palaroan (Sr., Reno, Nev.). The two were immediately sacrificed over a base off a sacrifice bunt by Anna Smith (Fr., Walnut, Calif.). Three batters later, Stacy Roth (Fr., Wauseon, Ohio) singled to centerfield to bring home OSUs only run of the day.%^$
%^$The 49ers immediately rallied with a two runs in the bottom half of the inning to take the lead for good. %^$
%^$The Buckeye bats did hammer out nine hits but stranded 13 runners. %^$
%^$Inside the circle, Toni Hileman (Jr., Alliance, Ohio) saw her record fall to 3-4 on the season. She went five innings and gave up three runs (two earned).%^$
%^$The highlight of the game for OSU came in the top of the first inning. Palaroan, who reached base on an error, stole second base to break the OSU all-time career stolen base record of 44 set by Candace Kollen (1995-98). She finished the game going 2-for-4.%^$
%^$”I was encouraged by the way we swung the bats in the first game after not facing live pitching for two weeks,” head coach Linda Kalafatis said. “We did everything offensively but score the runs.”%^$
%^$In game two, the Buckeyes were forced to throw Hileman again due to injuries to three other pitchers. In spite of her having to throw both ends of the doubleheader (for the first time in her OSU career) she pitched a strong outing opening with four shutout innings. %^$
%^$But the 49er bats woke up in the bottom of the fifth inning with three runs off four hits. This would prove to be Hilemans only bad inning of the game. %^$
%^$The OSU offense could only muster two hits. Hileman pitched the entire constest and saw her record fall to 3-5 on the year. %^$
%^$”Injuries are a part of the game,” Kalafatis said. “Toni was strong for us today, its just to bad we couldnt give her any run support.%^$
%^$Tomorrow, the Buckeyes will head to Cal-State Fullerton for a single game at noon.%^$ %^$
