Softball Downs Georgia State, 3-1, In Bracket Play at Buzz Classic – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/24/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 24, 2002
Box Score
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State softball team received the No. 4 seed in bracket play of the 2002 Georgia Tech/Buzz Classic Sunday and open the single elimination tournament with a 3-1 defeat of No. 6-seeded Georgia State in Marietta, Ga. Wendy Allen (So., Moreno Valley, Calif./Moreno Valley) threw a complete game in the circle, allowing one run on six hits, and also went 1-for-3 at the plate to help OSU to its 12th win in a row. The Buckeyes are 25-5 on the year while the Panthers fell to 19-17 in 2002.
Allen gave three hits in the first five innings of play and allowed no base runner to move past second base while striking out five, one in each inning. At the plate, she picked up her only hit of the game with two outs and the bases empty. Allen took a pitch deep over the fence giving OSU an early 1-0 lead and the sophomore her sixth home run of the year after totaling one a year ago. The Buckeyes’ offense went three and out in the second, third and fourth innings for coming to life in the fifth.
Elizabeth Kacsanek (Jr., Uniontown, Ohio/Green) led of the fifth with a single and was relieved of base running duties by pinch runner Meghan Rowlands (Fr., Hilliard, Ohio/Bishop Ready). Kristine Himes (Jr., Bolivar, Ohio/Tuscarawas Valley) singled to move Rowlands to second and both runners advanced one more base on a Rogeanna Hottinger (Jr., Newark, Ohio/Newark) sacrifice bunt. Jennifer Link (Jr., Yorba Linda, Calif./Sonora) then came to the plate and knocked in Rowlands with a single. After Link stole second to put runners as second and third, Anna Smith (Sr., Walnut, Calif./Diamond Bar) tripled to push two more runs across before getting caught in a run down to end the inning. The Panthers got on the board in the sixth with Corrie Roberts driving the ball over the fence for a solo home run to cut the deficit for GSU to 3-1. The Buckeye defense settled in and retired GSU with out allowing another run to pick up the win and advance in bracket play.
Earlier in the day, the host Yellow Jackets of Georgia Tech defended their No. 1 tournament seeding with a defeat of ACC rival Maryland to set up a show down with the Buckeyes in the Classic’s semifinal rounds. Also advancing in the upper half of the bracket were No. 2 North Carolina and No. 3 Troy State.
The Buckeyes return to action with a 6 p.m. game at Tennessee-Chattanooga Monday.
