Softball Sweeps Robert Morris with an 8-0 Win. – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/20/2001 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 20, 2001
Box Score
COLUMBUS, Ohio– In the bottom of the fifth inning, Beth McAbier (Fr., Carrollton, Ohio/Carrollton) hit a towering grand slam into the pine trees behind the left field wall at Buckeye Field to give the Ohio State softball team (17-8 overall) an 8-0 lead over Robert Morris in game two of a doubleheader and end the game on the eight-run mercy rule.
With the win, the Buckeyes extend their win streak to eight games.
Katie Chain (So., North Canton, Ohio/Hoover) picked up the win for the Buckeyes, allowing just three hit and striking out six of the 18 batters she faced. Chain improves to 7-4 and has not allowed a run in her last three outings.
McAbier went 2-for-3, with her grand slam supplying four runs batted in. Anna Smith (Jr., Walnut, Calif./Diamond Bar) also hit 2-for-3. Breana Pozzi (Fr., Petaluma, Calif./Petaluma) went 2-for-2 from the plate. OSU totaled 11 hits, with nine Buckeyes notching at least one hit.
OSU took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Smith singled to shortstop to open the inning and then stole second base. A single by Jenn Link (So., Yorba Linda, Calif./Sonora) moved Smith to third base. Smith scored on a sacrifice fly to left field by Kristi DeVries (Fr., Corona, Calif./Corona). Link also scored on the play, coming around from second on a throwing error by Robert Morris shortstop Dana Knapp.
The Buckeyes added a run in the third and fourth inning to extend their lead to 4-0. Roth doubled to center field to open the third inning. She moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice bunt by Kristine Himes (So., Bolivar, Ohio/Tuscarawas Valley). Pozzi doubled to center field in the fourth inning, and reached third when McAbier, who had singled to open the inning, was thrown out at the plate. Rogeanna Hottinger (So., Newark, Ohio/Newark) hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score Pozzi.
With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, OSU began to set the table for McAbier. DeVries singled to left field, Himes reached on an error by second baseman Nora Borger and Amy Ellis (So., Erie, Pa./Ball State), pinch hitting for Chrissy Fowler (Jr., Utica, Ohio/Utica) singled to right field to load the bases.
Then, with one swing of the bat, McAbier ended the game.
OSU leaves Wednesday for the Buzz Classic, hosted by Georgia Tech in Atlanta, Ga., Friday-Sunday, March 23-25.
