Softball Scores 7-0 Win Over McNeese State To Take No. 1 Seed – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/16/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 16, 2002
Box Score
HOUSTON, Texas- The Ohio State softball team used another solid pitching performance by Katie Chain (Jr., North Canton, Ohio/Hoover) and timely hitting by the Buckeye offense to win a 7-0 decision over McNeese State Saturday in the final game of pool play at the Houston Invitational in Houston, Texas. The Buckeyes recorded their sixth-consecutive win dating back to the Northridge Tournament of Champions and their fourth in a row while playing in the Lone Star state. OSU improved to 8-1 with the win and is seeded No. 1 in bracket play to be held Sunday at the UH Softball Complex. MSU fell to 4-7.
The Buckeyes started slow on offense as the first five batters to the plate were retire. Their bats came to life with one swing by Sarah West (Sr., Galloway, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson). West took a Meghan Novak offering over the center field fence to put OSU on top, 1-0, midway through the second inning. After three innings of play, West’s home run and a Jennifer Link () single to center were the only hits and base runners for the Buckeyes. The Cowgirls also had two on a walk and a single.
The fourth saw OSU come to life with a string of solid hitting. After a Wendy Allen (So., Moreno Valley, Calif./Moreno Valley) fly-out to left field, Stacy Roth (Sr., Wauseon, Ohio/Wauseon) and Chrissy Fowler (Sr., Utica, Ohio/Wright State) singled to put runners on first and second. West struck again, this time utilizing a single to drive in Roth for a 2-0 lead. Fowler moved to third on the play and scored when Jenn Elwell (Sr., Dearborne Heights, Mich./Divine Child), pinch running for West, was caught stealing.
With a 3-0 lead, Chain had the lead she needed and went to work. With five strikeouts in the first three innings, she struck out six of the next seven MSU batters faced to insure the lead. In all, Chain finished with a season-high 12 strike outs while allowing one hit and one walk.
OSU struck again in the fifth. Kristine Himes (Jr., Bolivar, Ohio/Tuscarawas Valley) singled to start the inning. Breana Pozzi (So., Petaluma, Calif./Casa Grande) followed with her team-leading third double to push the runners to second and third with no outs. Link knocked in Meghan Rowlands (Fr., Hilliard, Ohio/Bishop Ready), pinch running for Himes, with a single up the middle and recorded her team best ninth steal of the year. She scored one batter later when Anna Smith (Sr., Walnut, Calif./Diamond Bar) picked up the first triple of the year of the year for OSU. Smith scored on a wild pitch to Allen who later reached on a single to left center. Pinch hitters Kari Crandell (So., Hendersonville, Tenn./Hendersonville), Rogeanna Hottinger (Jr., Newark, Ohio/Newark) and Kristi DeVries (So., Corona, Calif./Corona) followed with three fielder’s choices in a row as the runner at first was put out at second to end the scoring threat. Annie Dedic (Jr., Yorba Linda, Calif./Fullerton JC), Himes and Hottinger added a single, single and double, respectively, in the final two innings of play but did not score.
The Buckeyes registered four innings in which the Cowgirls went down in order including the fifth when Chain struck out the side. OSU went down in order once, in the first and nearly batted around in the fifth sending eight Buckeyes to the plate. OSU also played 19-of-20 players on the roster in some capacity including pinch running and hitting during the contest.
OSU will meet the winner of the No. 3 Houston-No. 6 Stephen F. Austin game at 2 p.m. EST Sunday.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E Buckeyes 0 1 0 2 4 0 0 7 13 0 Cowgirls 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
WP: Katie Chain (3-0) LP: Meghan Novak (0-1)
