OSU Claims Title at Buckeye Invite With 5-0 Win Over Seton Hall – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/17/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 17, 2002
Box Score
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Rain and cold temperatures hampered the start of the final day at the Buckeye Invitational but it did not slow down the Ohio State softball team as the Buckeyes picked up their sixth win in a row, this time defeating Seton Hall, 5-0 in six innings, to capture the tournament title. Katie Chain (Jr., North Canton, Ohio/Hoover) went the distance in the circle to secure the win and help the Buckeyes to a 20-5 record on the year and at the same time set the OSU career wins mark with 42, surpassing the 41 victories Jodi Dolan collected from 1995-98. Stacy Roth (Sr., Wauseon, Ohio/Wauseon) launched a towering home run and Elizabeth Kacsanek (Jr., Uniontown, Ohio/Green) went 2-for-3 at the plate in the win.
After allowing a hit in the top of the first to the Pirates, the Buckeyes went to work on offense and produced two runs with one breaking a record. With one out, Anna Smith (Sr., Walnut, Ohio/Diamond Bar) hit a bunt single in front of the plate and beat the throw to first. She then stole second. Wendy Allen (So., Moreno Valley, Ohio/Moreno Valley) walked and both runners moved up a base as Roth grounded out. Chrissy Fowler (Sr., Utica, Ohio/Wright State) singled to left and moved to second on the throw home as SHU tried to get Allen at the plate but the throw was not in time. Smith scored the 130th run of her career to break the previous mark of 129 set by Candace Kollen (1995-98) and tied by Smith one game earlier. SHU collected one hit in each of the first three innings but did not get past first base.
In the Buckeye second, Kacsanek led off with a shot up the middle and was lifted at first for pinch runner Jen Elwell (Sr., Dearborn Heights, Ohio/Divine Child). Elwell stole second and came home to score on a Jennifer Link (Jr., Yorba Linda, Calif./Sonora) single to left to bring the OSU lead to 3-0. With a two hour rain delay earlier in the morning, the darkness started to settle in on Buckeye Field pushing the pace game along quicker.
In the fouth, fifth and sixth innings, SHU sent 10 batters to the plate with five returning to the bench after striking out. Ahead by three, OSU added two runs in the bottom of the fifth in what would be the team’s final trips to the plate for the tournament. Roth led off by blasting a Megan Meyer pitch, the same Meyer that threw a perfect game against Robert Morris Saturday, over the center field wall to record her fifth home run of the season and make it 4-0 game. Kacsanek again singled up the middle and moved to second when Karisa Evans (Fr., Franklin, Ohio/Franklin) was hit by a pitch. JJ Johnson (Fr., LaMirada, Calif./LaMirada) knocked in Kacsanek with a double down the left line to end the scoring at 5-0.
Smith, Link, Roth and Chain were all selected to the 2002 Buckeye Invitational All-Tournament team and Allen was chosen as the tournament’s most valuable player. Allen hit at .692 clip (8-for-13) in the five games at home and recorded 10 RBI, two home runs and four doubles to place the offense while also throwing a no-hitter against Robert Morris in her lone appearance. The four Buckeyes were joined by SHU’s Lindsay Trottier, Laura Taylor and Meyer, Kent State’s Lea Dorto and Renee Lynch and RMU’s Lauren Dickinson on the all-tournament team.
Ohio State returns to action Friday through Monday with a trip to Atlanta, Ga., and Chattanooga, Tenn. The Buckeyes will meet Campbell and Princeton in the Georgia Tech/Buzz Classic on Friday and No. 22 Florida State and Central Florida Saturday. Bracket play is slated for Sunday. OSU also travels north to play Monday at Tennessee-Chattanooga at 6 p.m.
