Softball Defeats Campbell, 2-0, to Open Play at Buzz Classic – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/23/2001 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 23, 2001
ATLANTA – Sarah West (Jr., Galloway, Ohio/Hillard Davidson) was cleared to play and then cleared the fence to lead the Ohio State softball team (18-8 overall) to a 2-0 win over Campbell in the Buckeyes’ first game at the Buzz Classic, hosted by Georgia Tech at the Al Bishop Softball Complex in Atlanta, Ga.
West had missed the Buckeyes’ last six games due to sprained ligaments in her left shoulder she suffered in a collision at home plate in a win over Cleveland State (March 16). Making her presence in the lineup felt almost immediately, she blasted a solo-shot over the right field wall off Camel pitcher Michelle Carey in the bottom of the fifth inning to break a scoreless tie.
One inning later, Stacy Roth – who went 2-for-2 in the game – was hit by a pitch to put her on first base. A sacrifice bunt by Kristi DeVries moved Roth to second. Wendy Allen, who accounted for a third of OSU’s nine hits, going 3-for-3 on the afternoon, drove Roth in with a triple to the gap in right-center field to put OSU up 2-0.
The two runs proved to be one more than pitcher DeVries would need. In six innings of work, DeVries allowed just one hit – a single in the third inning – and struck out 15 of the 23 batter she faced. The win over Campbell marked the third one-hitter DeVries has tossed in her last three starts. DeVries has racked up an alarming 46 strikeouts in her last three outings.
The Buckeyes had nine hits on the afternoon, but did not produce any runs until West’s blast because they were unable to string more than two hits in a row together.
OSU’s first scoring threat of the game was thwarted when Jenn Elwell (Jr., Dearborn Heights, Mich./Divine, pinch running after West drew a walk to open the bottom of the third, was thrown out at the plate trying to score from second on a single Roth. OSU will face Charleston Southern tonight at 6.
