Softball Crowned Buckeye Invitational Champions – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/18/2001 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 18, 2001
COLUMBUS, Ohio– It was only fitting the Ohio State softball team (15-8 overall) defeated Cleveland State, 5-0, to finish the 2001 Buckeye Invitational, hosted by OSU at Buckeye Field, with a perfect 5-0 record.
Katie Chain (So., North Canton, Ohio/Hoover) scattered four hits and struck out three en route to a shutout-complete game win. Chain picked up two wins at the invitational and improved to 6-4 for the season. She did not allow an earned run in either appearance.
Chain continued the pitching dominance OSU had enjoyed all week with her performance in the championship. For the invitational, OSU had an earned run average of 0.42. Chain and Kristi DeVries (Fr., Corona, Calif./Corona) each had an ERA of 0. Wendy Allen (Fr., Moreno Valley) checked in with an ERA of 1.27 in her win. The opposition managed just 15 hits over the weekend.
The OSU lineup was just as impressive as the pitching staff in the invitational. In the championship the Buckeyes had seven hits to CSU’s four. OSU racked up 62 hits for the weekend and batted a collective .431. Eight batters with at least nine plate appearances hit .357 or better. Three hit .400 or better – (Kristine Himes, .400, 6-for-15), (Anna Smith, .429, 6-for-14), Wendy Allen (.455, 5-for-11) and two hit .500 or better – (Stacy Roth, .556, 10-for-18) and (Jenn Link, .588, 10-for-17). Chissy Fowler hit .667 (6-for-9).
“We had an outstanding display of pitching and offense all weekend,” Linda Kalafatis, OSU head coach, said. “It was nice to see so many people contribute in so many different situations. We were able to maintain that level of play right through to the championship.”
In the championship, Fowler and Link each tallied two hits. Smith, Roth and Himes each added a hit.
OSU took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Himes coaxed a walk with one out and was moved to second on a Fowler bunt. Rogeanna Hottinger (So., Newark, Ohio/Newark) drew a walk to load the bases. Annie Dedic (So., Yorba Linda, Calif./Fullerton J.C.) grounded out to shortstop to score Himes.
With one out, Link singled to left field. Roth then smacked a triple to right field to score Link. Roth made the score 3-0 when she led off third base and CSUcatcher Stephanie Taylor overthrew a pick off attempt into left field.
The Buckeyes added one run in both the fifth and sixth innings. Liz Kacsanek reached on an error by shortstop Lisa Horton to open the bottom of the fifth. Jenn Elwell (Jr., Dearborn Heights, Mich./Divine Child) pinch ran for Kacsanek and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Smith. Link then singled to right field to score Elwell.
DeVries coaxed a walk to open the bottom half of the sixth. She moved to second on a single by Himes and advanced to third on a single by Fowler. Dedic grounded out to first base to score DeVries to make the final 5-0.
OSU plays host to Robert Morris in a doubleheader at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Buckeye Field.
