Softball Reaches Invite Finals With 4-0 Defeat of Robert Morris – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/17/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 17, 2002
Box Score
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State softball team, the No. 1 seed in the 2002 Buckeye Invitational, defeated No. 4-seed Robert Morris, 4-0, Sunday in the second semifinal of the tournament played at Buckeye Field in Columbus. OSU moves on to face Seton Hall for the tournament title after the Pirates defeated Kent State, 6-3, earlier in the day. Kristi DeVries (So., Corona, Calif./Corona) put forth another strong showing as she allowed six hits in seven innings of work to earn the complete game shutout while striking out 10 Colonial batters. Kristine Himes (Jr., Bolivar, Ohio/Tuscarawas Valley) led the offense with a 2-for-3 day at the plate including a home run and a double.
The Colonials came out swinging after being no-hit in their two games on Saturday with coming at the hands of Buckeye pitcher Wendy Allen (So., Moreno Valley, Calif./Moreno Valley). Julie Connor opened the game with a double to left but was stranded when the next three RMU batters were struck out in order.
The Buckeyes jumped on their opponent early, scoring a run in each of the first three innings. In the first, Jennifer Link (Jr., Yorba Linda, Calif./Sonora) led off with a triple to left center and scored one batter later on a passed ball to make the score 1-0. OSU scored again in the bottom of the second when Himes took a Lauren Dickinson offering deep over the left center wall to round the bases and move the score to 2-0.
In the third, Anna Smith (Sr., Walnut, Calif./Diamond Bar) got things going with a single up the middle. With two outs and Smith advancing on a Stacy Roth (Sr., Wauseon, Ohio/Wauseon) ground out, Chrissy Fowler (Sr., Utica, Ohio/Wright State) reached first on a bunt single to first and advanced to third on a low throw from first base player Dana Knapp to Jen Noonan. Smith came home to score on the error for a 3-0 lead and a piece of history. Smith’s run was the 129th of her career, tying Candace Kollen (1995-98) for the top spot in OSU’s all-time record book. The fourth inning is when DeVries took over the game. She faced four batters in the fourth and sixth innings and the minimum in the fifth and seventh to pick up her seventh win of the year. DeVries struck out three in the fourth and one each in the fifth and seventh to end the game with 10.
The fifth saw the Buckeyes add their final run of the contest with Allen starting things off. Allen doubled to right and was pinch ran for by Rogeanna Hottinger (Jr., Newark, Ohio/Newark). After Roth hit into a fielder’s choice that force Hottinger out near second, Meghan Rowlands (Fr., Hilliard, Ohio/Bishop Ready) came in to bat and singled to left and stole second while Sarah West (Sr., Galloway, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson) batted. Rowlands came home on the West single up the middle to end the run total at four.
The Buckeyes face Seton Hall at 4 p.m. today for the tournament title.
