Softball Secures No. 1 Seed At Buckeye Invite With 2-1 Win Over Kent St. – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/16/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 16, 2002
Box Score
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State softball team used timely hitting and stingy defense to score a 2-1 defeat of Kent State Saturday in the final game of round robin action at Buckeye Field in the Buckeye Invitational Saturday. Kristi DeVries (So., Corona, Calif./Corona) struck out three to earn the win and Katie Chain (Jr., North Canton, Ohio/Hoover) pitched three scoreless innings with four strikeouts to earn her second save of the year to improve OSU’s record to 18-5. Wendy Allen (So., Moreno Valley, Calif./Moreno Valley), fresh off a no-hitter against Robert Morris earlier in the day, went 2-for-2 with two RBI to drop the Golden Flashes to 6-8 overall.
Kent State made its way into the scoring column first with a run in the third. Left fielder Danielle Fincham led off the inning with a single to shortstop Breana Pozzi (So., Petaluma, Calif./Casa Grande) and moved to second and third on a stolen base and wild pitch by DeVries, respectively. Three batters later, Grete Hornstrom doubled to center field, just under the glove of Anna Smith (Sr., Walnut, Calif./Diamond Bar), to give the Flashes the early lead.
Allen helped the Buckeyes respond with both of her RBIs coming in the second on one pitch. With one out, Jennifer Link (Jr., Yorba Linda, Calif./Sonora) walked and Smith singled to left to put runners at first and second. Allen then doubled to right field to plate Link and Smith for her ninth and 10th RBIs on the weekend. Allen has led the team in its three games with an .875 batting average and holds a 2.000 slugging percentage (16 total bases in eight at bats).
In the first four innings of the game, KSU recorded five hits and struck out three times with DeVries in the circle. Once Chain entered the game in the fifth, the Golden Flashes struck out four times and did not have a player reach base. The win marks the first time in five tries the Buckeyes have been victorious when their opponent out hits them. KSU tallied five hits to OSU’s four on the day.
The Buckeye Invitational concludes Sunday with four games at Buckeye Field. No. 2-seed KSU will face No. 3 Seton Hall in the first semifinal at 10 a.m. with the Buckeyes and Robert Morris Colonials meeting in the second semifinal at Noon. The winners will meet for the championship title at 2 p.m. and the consolation game will begin at 4 p.m.
