OSU Softball Drops First Game of the Year, 7-6, To No. 18 Oregon State – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/9/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 9, 2002
Box Score
COLUMBUS, Ohio- The Ohio State softball team suffered its first loss of the season Saturday, 7-6, to the No. 18 Oregon State Beavers at the Tournament of Champions at Northridge, Calif. The Buckeyes (2-1) jumped to an early lead but could not hang on as the Beavers took the lead for good with five runs in the fifth on a windy day at Matador Diamond.
“It is disappointing when you get so close, especially against a good squad,” Linda Kalafatis, OSU head coach, said. “They probably capitalized on more of our mistakes than we did on theirs, but we have to be satisfied with the way we have come out and competed so far this year. I expect our team to be a veteran group that can come back from being down a few runs. Overall, we are pleased with this weekend but we would be more pleased to be 3-0.”
The Buckeyes, designated the home team, allowed one Beaver base hit and five batters before retiring the side. The Buckeyes got things going in the bottom of the first when Anna Smith (Sr., Walnut, Calif./Diamond Bar) reached on an error. Wendy Allen (So., Moreno Valley, Calif./Moreno Valley) grounded out setting the stage for Stacy Roth (Sr., Wauseon, Ohio/Wauseon). Roth blasted a Crystal Draper offering over the left field fence to bring Smith around for a 2-0 lead. Roth, who picked up her second homer of the year, also poked a three-run shot in the bottom of the seventh inning against Cal State Northridge Friday ended Ohio State’s season opener, 4-2.
“Stacy is stroking the ball nicely right now,” Kalafatis said. “She is very capable of hitting home runs and I think she is one of the best players in our conference. It is nice to see her get into a rhythm early in the year and we look for her to have that type of power consistently as well as the same from some others.” The Buckeye defense kept the momentum going by allowing on base runner in the next two innings. The Beavers responded in kind with no Ohio State runners in the same span. In the fourth inning, however, Oregon State’s bats awoke. Shelly Prochaska opened the stanza with a leadoff double and came around to score three batters later when Kristen Hunter reached on an error. The Beavers tied the game and then took the lead when Kelly Peterson slapped a single and Brynnen Guthrie belted a double off the outfield fence. In all, Oregon State plated five on four hits to put the Buckeyes down, 5-2. Ohio State went down in order the next two innings before mounting a comeback in the sixth.
The Beavers went down in order to open the sixth. Buckeye leadoff batter Jennifer Link (Jr., Yorba Linda, Calif./Sonora) got things going with a single followed by a Smith single. Allen’s single scored Link and Smith followed on a fielder’s choice from Roth. With two on and two out, Sarah West (Sr., Galloway, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson) coaxed a walk to load the bases. Draper got Breana Pozzi (So., Petaluma, Calif./Casa Grande) to fly out to left, though the ball was hit more towards center and carried by the gusts of wind, to end the threat and keep Ohio State trailing, 5-4.
In the seventh, the Beavers scored two more runs when Chariton and Burnum crossed the plate on a single by Traci Feldt. After Rogeanna Hottinger (Jr., Newark, Ohio/Newark) grounded out to start the Buckeye seventh, Link doubled and Smith reached on an error. With runners at second and third, Allen grounded out to first to score Link and Smith came in to make it a 7-6 game when Kristine Himes (Jr., Bolivar, Ohio/Tuscarawas Valley) reached on an error two batters latter. Pinch-runner Meghan Rowlands (Fr., Hilliard, Ohio/Bishop Ready) was picked off trying to reach third on the Himes at bat to end the game and give the Buckeyes their first loss of the year.
Ohio State plays twice Sunday to close out its stay in Southern California when it meets McNeese State at 11:30 a.m. EST and San Diego at 1:50 p.m. EST.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E Oregon State 0 0 0 5 0 0 2 7 8 4 Ohio State 2 0 0 0 0 2 2 6 6 3
WP- Crystal Draper (4-0) LP- Wendy Allen (1-1)
