Buckeye Softball Blanks Kentucky, 4-0, In Shortened Contest – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/12/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 12, 2002%^$
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%^$COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State softball team quickly rebounded from a 4-3 loss in eight innings to open its first home action of the year with a 4-0 win in five innings over visiting Kentucky at Buckeye Field Tuesday to cap a doubleheader. Katie Chain (Jr., North Canton, Ohio/Hoover) went five strong innings allowing six hits and no runs while striking out six with no walks in the game that was shortened by darkness. Chrissy Fowler (Sr., Utica, Ohio/Wright State) paced the offense with a 2-for-2 day at the plate with and RBI. Anna Smith (Sr., Walnut, Calif./Diamond Bar) scored twice and assisted on a third run to help OSU improve to 14-5 overall and drop the Wildcats to 14-9.%^$
%^$Chain started strong with a strike out before allowing three singles in a row to open the game. She settled in and got out of the bases loaded jam with a fielder’s choice and a ground out. The Buckeyes jumped quickly on UK with two runs in their half of the inning. Jennifer Link (Jr., Yorba Linda, Calif./Sonora) opened the inning with a first pitch bunt single and moved to second when Smith reached on an error. Link was thrown out on a Wendy Allen (So., Moreno Valley, Calif./Moreno Valley) fielder’s choice. With one out, Stacy Roth (Sr., Wauseon, Ohio/Wauseon) singled to right to plate Smith for the 1-0 lead. Two batters later, Fowler singled to left to drive in Allen.%^$
%^$Chain struck out four of the remaining 15 batters in the game to preserve the shutout while the Buckeyes went back on the offensive and posted single runs in the third and fourth innings. Smith opened the third with a walk and was advanced one base at a time on singles by Allen and Roth. She came in to score on a sacrifice fly by Kristine Himes (Jr., Bolivar, Ohio/Tusawaras Valley) to push the score to 3-0.%^$
%^$Smith also had a hand in the final run. After Breana Pozzi (So., Petaluma, Calif./Casa Grande) singled to right and a Link walk pushed her to second, Smith put down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners. Allen grounded out to second as Pozzi came home for the final tally.%^$
%^$The win improved Chain’s record to 5-2 on the year and increased her career total to 40, one behind Jodi Dolan (1995-98) for the all-time lead at 41. Smith also inched closer to another record, bringing her career runs total to 122. She needs seven more to tie Candice Kollen (1995-98) with 129 atop the runs ledger.%^$
%^$OSU will play Oakland at 3 p.m. Thursday in a single game before playing host to the 2002 Buckeye Invitational, March 15-17. Teams in the field this year include Seton Hall, Robert Morris, Kent State and the Buckeyes.
