No. 7 California Blanks Softball Buckeyes, 4-0 – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/2/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 2, 2002%^$
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%^$FULLERTON, Calif. – Sarah West (Sr., Galloway, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson) collected two hits and Kristi DeVries (So., Yorba Linda, Calif./Fullerton JC) put in a strong performance from the circle but it was not enough as the Ohio State softball team lost its third-consecutive game with a 4-0 decision in favor of the No. 7 Golden Bears of California Saturday in the second of two games for the Buckeyes at the Worth Invitational. OSU fell to 10-4 on the year after the second day of play in Fullerton, Calif., while UC moved to 17-5.%^$
%^$The game opened in a classic pitchers dual. Starter Jocelyn Forest, a returning All-American, and her Golden Bear defense retired the top of the OSU order with two fly outs and an unassisted out at first. DeVries and the Buckeyes responded in the first with a line out and two strike outs. Forest answered back in the second striking out three of the four Buckeye batters to stroll to the plate. UC followed with a run in the bottom of the stanza. Veronica Nelson walked and pinch runner Roni Rodrigues moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Courtney Scott. Two batters later, Chelsea Spencer doubled to left center to bring in Rodrigues for what would prove to be the game winning tally.%^$
%^$Both squads went down in order in the third with UC doing the same in the fourth and fifth. The Buckeyes sent four to bat with Stacy Roth (Sr., Wauseon, Ohio/Wauseon) doubling down the left line but was stranded as Chrissy Fowler (Sr., Utica, Ohio/Wright State) popped out foul to the left fielder, Jessica Vernaglia.%^$
%^$OSU also sent four to the plate in the top of the fourth with West recording a lead off double down the left line but Forest fanned two Buckeyes to get out of the jam. The fifth saw the Golden Bears go back on the attack recording three runs to close the scoring for the game. Kelly Anderson led off with a single to left and Forest came in to run. Spencer singled to left and Vernaglia reached on an infield bunt to load the bases. Jessica Pamanian singled to center to bring in Anderson and Spencer for the 3-0 lead. Kristen Morely grounded out to Jennifer Link (Jr., Yorba Linda, Calif./Sonora) at second to plate Vernaglia and end the scoring with UC on top, 4-0. OSU picked up two hits in the final two stanzas but could not get closer than second while UC had two base runners stranded when DeVries struck out the final two batters faced.%^$
%^$DeVries fanned four allowing six hits and four runs, all earned while her counterpart went seven innings scattering five hits and striking out eight.%^$
%^$The Buckeyes close out their stay in the Los Angeles area with a pair of games Sunday when they take on San Diego State at 2 p.m. EST and No. 14 Pacific at 4 p.m. EST at the Titan Softball Complex on the final day of the 2002 Worth Invitational.
