Softball Defeats Sacramento State, 8-4 – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/18/2001 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 18, 2001%^$
%^$%^$%^$Box Score%^$%^$%^$%^$
%^$COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State softball team (7-4) defeated Sacramento State, 8-4, in its final game at Campbell-Cartier Classic, hosted by San Diego State in Poway, Calif. With the win, the Buckeyes finished the tournament with a record of 3-2.%^$
%^$For the third time this season – and second in three games – OSU tallied eight runs. Anna Smith (Jr., Walnut, Calif./Diamond Bar) led the offensive barrage from her lead off spot in the lineup, going 4 for 4 with three RBI. Wendy Allen (Fr., Moreno Valley, Calif./Moreno Valley) went 2 for 4 and Breanna Pozzi (Fr.,Petaluma, Calif./Casa Grand) belted her first career home run. Collectively, the Buckeyes tallied 11 hits compared to the Hornets’ seven.%^$
%^$”It was good to see some people step up, Anna being one of them,” OSU head coach Linda%^$Kalafatis said. “We need her to drive in runs and she did that for us.”%^$
%^$Katie Chain (So., North Canton, Ohio/Hoover) picked up the win to run her record to 3-2. Chain struck out four and allowed seven hits in the winning effort.%^$
%^$The Buckeyes scored two runs in each of the first three innings to set the tone of the game.%^$
%^$Stacy Roth (Jr., Wauseon, Ohio/Wauseon) brought in Chrissy Fowler (Jr., Utica, Ohio/Utica)and Allen with a line drive to left field to open the scoring. Fowler had reached base on a walk and Allen reached on a fielders’ choice.%^$
%^$Pozzi put the Buckeyes up 3-0 in the second inning with a solo home run that grazed the left fielder’s glove before clearing the fence. Holly English (Sr.,Akron, Ohio/Springfield) coaxed a walk and Smith singled to left field to put runners on first and second. A double steal put English and Smith on third and second, respectively. Fowler then dropped down a bunt, beating out the throw and scoring English from third to register an RBI.%^$
%^$After Allen collected her second hit of the afternoon, a single to right field, Kristine Himes, Sarah West and Pozzi all drew walks to score Allen. Smith scored Jenn Elwell (Jr., dearborn Heights, Mich./Divine Child), who was pinch running for west, from third on a single to left field, her third hit of the game.%^$
%^$The Hornets cut the lead to 6-1 in the top of the fourth before OSU responded with two more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.%^$
%^$English led off the Buckeye sixth with a single to right field and then stole second. In her final plate appearance of the day, Smith continued her hitting display, smacking a double to center field to score English. Jenn Link (So., Yorba Linda, Calif./Sonora)then dropped a bunt, moving Smith to third. Smith came home on the play on an error at first base.%^$
%^$The Hornets managed to cut the lead to 8-4 in the top of the seventh before Wendy Allen came in to finish the game and earn the save.%^$
%^$”It’s definetly nice to come back from a tournament of that caliber with a winning record and know that we can still improve,” Kalafatis said.%^$
%^$The Buckeyes will next compete at the Florida International Invitational in Miami, Fla., March 2-4.
