Softball WIns Record 41st Game at Minnesota – Ohio State Buckeyes
4/28/2001 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 28, 2001%^$
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%^$COLUMBUS, Ohio – At 8:14 p.m.(central) it was official. The Ohio State softball team (41-15 overall, 12-5 in the Big Ten) defeated Minnesota, 2-0, at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn., to break the OSU record for wins in a season with 41. The 1994 edition of the Buckeyes had held the record with 40 wins.%^$
%^$Katie Chain (So., North Canton, Ohio/Hoover) tossed a complete game shutout, striking out eight and allowing four hits to become just the second 20-game winner in OSU history. Genice Turley won 24 games in 1994. Chain is now 20-5 this season.%^$
%^$The win total is just one chapter of the OSU record book to be rewritten this weekend. In a 8-2 win over Wisconsin Friday, Stacy Roth (Jr. Wauseon, Ohio/Wauseon) became the all-time career leader in runs batted in with 97. Kristi DeVries (Fr., Corona, Calif./Corona) struck out two in a 2-0 loss to the Badgers to become the OSU single-season record holder in strikouts with 156.%^$
%^$”To win the most games of any OSU team ever is a tremendous thrill,” Linda Kalafatis, OSU head coach, said. “Breaking the record was not a goal of ours, but it reflects what we have been able to do this season. We don’t have time to enjoy it now. We still have three conference games remaining. We will recognize the record when the season is over.”%^$
%^$Chain’s counterpart, Angie Recknor, also struck out eight and allowed just eight hits in the losing effort. She is now 10-9 this season.%^$
%^$After striking out the first two batters she faced in the top of the third inning, Recknor – gave up a left field-single to Wendy Allen (Fr., Moreno Valley, Calif./Moreno Valley). Stacy Roth (Jr.,Wauseon, Ohio/Wauseon)followed with a triple down the right field line that took a bounce into the corner to easily score Allen from first base. Kristi DeVries (Fr., Corona, Calif./Corona) reached first on an error by shortstop Shelly Nichols to allow Roth to score and give OSU a 2-0 lead that would hold.%^$
%^$”Stacy (Roth’s) triple down the right field line typifies the kind of plays our team is making this season,” Kalafatis said. “For her to be able to reach third was also important because then she scores on an error, totally changing the outlook of the game.”%^$
%^$Minnesota had a runner reach second base three time after OSU scored, but could not produce any runs.%^$
%^$OSU and Minnesota play Sunday at 1 p.m. (central).
