Home Run Derby Favors Buckeye Softball, 9-6, Over Central Florida – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/24/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 24, 2002
Box Score
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The trio of Stacy Roth (Sr., Wauseon, Ohio/Wauseon), Sarah West (Sr., Galloway, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson) and Kristine Himes (Jr., Bolivar, Ohio/Tuscarawas Valley), firmly entrenched in a battle for the all-time Ohio State softball record, each went deep to help propel the Buckeye softball team to their 11th win in a row with a 9-6 defeat of Central Florida. OSU improves to 24-5 on the year with the win in the final game of pool play at the 2002 Georgia Tech/Buzz Classic in Marietta, Ga., Saturday, while the Knights, a first-year program, slipped to 29-8.
UCF got on the board first with a three-run home run by Lindsey Manz in the top of the first. Jania Shinhoster singled to open the game and Nikki Green reached on an error by Anna Smith (Sr., Walnut, Calif./Diamond Bar) in center field. Kristi DeVries (So., Corona, Calif./Corona) then gave up the long ball to Manz to put the Knights ahead 3-0 with no outs. DeVries would settle down and not allow another run until the seventh. In the innings between, DeVries recorded five of her six strikeouts and allowed three hits.
The Buckeyes fought back immediately and score a run of their own in the first. With one out, Smith reached on an error and stole second. Two batters later, Roth singled to drive in Smith and cut the UCF lead to 3-1. OSU went down in order over the next three innings before an offensive explosion in the fifth. With one out, Himes connected on her home run and brought the score to 3-2. Annie Dedic (Jr., Yorba Linda, Calif./Fullerton JC) followed up with a single and that was followed by Jennifer Link (Jr., Yorba Linda, Calif./Sonora) singling and Smith reaching on an error to load the bases with one out. After Wendy Allen (So., Moreno Valley, Calif./Moreno Valley) lined out to short, Roth knocked her second grand slam of the year over the wall in left field to put the Buckeyes ahead for good, 6-3. In the sixth, OSU went back to work and quickly added its seventh run with a West home run. DeVries followed with a double and came into score two batters later on a Dedic RBI single. With two out, Link doubled and was driven in by Allen to cap the Buckeyes’ scoring at 9-3.
UCF made it a closer game in the top of the seventh. Stephanie Best led off with a double and was brought home by Shinhoster’s home run to left. Two outs later, DeVries gave up another home run, this time to Tepora Hess, but it was too little too late as the Buckeyes recorded the third out and the win, 9-6.
DeVries went the distance, striking out six and allowing six runs on eight hits. The Buckeyes pounded out 13 hits with a 3-for-3 performance by Roth. Link, Allen and Dedic also chipped in with two hits apiece.
The Buckeyes return to action with a 6 p.m. game at Tennessee-Chattanooga Monday.
