Softball Drops No. 22 Long Beach State, 4-1 – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/16/2001 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 16, 2001
Box Score
COLUMBUS, Ohio – After dropping its first game at the Campbell-Cartier Classic, hosted by San Diego State in Poway, Calif., the Ohio State softball team (5-3) came out swinging in game two, a 4-1 win over No. 22 Long Beach State.
The Buckeyes registered four hits in their opening loss. OSU matched that output in the opening inning against LBSU, jumping out to a 3-0 lead they would never relinquish.
Jenn Link (Yorba Linda, Calif./Sonora) singled to left field with one out. Kristine Himes (So., Bolivar, Ohio/Tuscarawas Valley) drove a single to left to start a two-out rally and move Link to third. Wendy Allen (Moreno Valley, Calif./Moreno Valley) lined a double down the left field line that landed in fair territory and bounced into foul ground, scoring Link and Himes. Sarah West (Jr., Galloway, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson) drove in Allen with a single to put the Buckeyes up 3-0.
Katie Chain (So., North Canton, Ohio/Hoover) had all the run support she would need. Going the distance, Chain gave up two hits, struck out seven and did not allow an earned run to even her record at 2-2.
Jessica Smith reached base on an error for the 49ers to open the fourth. After Catherine Hugar came in to pinch run, Arleigh Thorpe doubled to center field on a hard grounder that just got by a diving Link, putting Hugar on third. A Nicole Spencer ground out to shortstop scored Hugar to narrow the lead to 3-1. It was as close as Long Beach State would get.
Chain retired the next nine batters she faced to squash any chances of a 49er comeback and received another run from the Buckeye offense for good measure. In the top of the seventh, Holly English (Sr., Akron, Ohio/Springfield) lined a triple to right center. English scored the final run of the evening on a Link single down the first base line.
OSU totaled eight hits off pitcher Lindsey Knoff.
The Buckeyes square off with Utah State at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow and face San Diego State at 1 p.m.
