Softball Opens Buckeye Invitational With 8-1 Defeat Of Seton Hall – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/15/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 15, 2002
Box Score
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – Wendy Allen (So., Moreno Valley, Calif./Moreno Valley) knocked two home runs for six RBI and Anna Smith (Sr., Walnut, Calif./Diamond Bar) and Stacy Roth (Sr., Wauseon, Ohio/Wauseon) chipped in three and two hits, respectively, to pace the Ohio State softball team to an 8-1 defeat of the Seton Hall Pirates in the opening game of the 2002 Buckeye Invitational at Buckeye Field in Columbus Friday. After hitting one home run a year ago in her freshman campaign, Allen has collected four this year to help OSU move to 15-5 on the year and drop the Pirates to 6-5.
After SHU went three-up and three-day to open the first, the Buckeyes’ offense went on the attack. Jennifer Link (Jr., Yorba Linda, Calif./Sonora) singled to left center and was pushed to second on a Smith single to left center. Allen came to the plate and sent an offering by Vermillion, Ohio native Megan Meyer over the wall in left center to put OSU on top quickly, 3-0. Roth doubled, but was stranded, to secure 37 in her career and move closer to the all-time mark of Krinon Clark (1991-94), 58. The Pirates went down in order the next two innings with OSU still hitting the ball around.
Breana Pozzi (So., Petaluma, Calif./Casa Grande) led off the second with a single to left and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Rogeanna Hottinger (Jr., Newark, Ohio/Newark). Pozzi scored two batters later on a Smith triple for the only run of the inning and a 4-0 lead. In the third, Chrissy Fowler (Sr., Utica, Ohio/Wright State) singled for the lone hit of the inning but remained ahead, 4-0. Lindsay Trottier led off the top of the fourth for the Pirates with a home run to left to cut into the SHU deficit, 4-1. Starter Katie Chain (Jr., North Canton, Ohio/Hoover) settled in and struck out the next two batters and allowed just one hit over the final three innings. Chain picked up the win to move to 6-2 on the year and tied Jodi Dolan (1995-98) at 41 for the most career victories in OSU annals.
With one out in the bottom of the fourth, Link singled to left center and moved to third on a Smith single bunt. Smith stole second to put runners on second and third with Allen coming to the plate. Allen struck again, this time crushing a shot to left center field driving three runs in for six on the day. Smith’s run scored, her second on the day, moved her to within three of career leader Candice Kollen (1995-98) and the 129 runs she scored. Pozzi and Hottinger picked up hits in the fifth but were stranded. With a 7-1 lead, Roth led off the sixth with a home run to right center for the Buckeyes’ third long ball of the game and the 16th for the season.
The Buckeyes return to action for day two of the Buckeye Invitational with games slated against Robert Morris at 1 p.m. and Kent State at 3 p.m. KSU faces RMU in the final game of bracket play Saturday with the semifinals, consolation and championship games slated for Sunday.
In other action at the Buckeye Invitational, Kent State opened the tournament with a 7-3 defeat of Seton Hall on the strength of scoring five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning after the Pirates broke a two-all tie with a run in the top half of the inning. Robert Morris opened the 2002 event with a 1-0 defeat of the Golden Flashes when pitcher Lauren Dickerson doubled to center field in the top of the seventh to plate Ashley Wood for the game-winning run.
Buckeye Invitational Page!
