No. 25 Ohio State Swept by No. 13 Michigan With 8-2 Loss – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/31/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 31, 2002
Box Score
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The No. 25 Ohio State softball team was swept by No. 13 Michigan Sunday in Ann Arbor, Mich., following an 8-2 loss to the Wolverines in the second game of the doubleheader at Alumni Field. Anna Smith (Sr., Walnut, Calif./Diamond Bar), fresh off the first home run of her career in the early game, went 2-for-2 with a run scored to pace the Buckeye offense in their second loss in a row. OSU slipped to 29-8 overall and 2-2 in the Big Ten while the host Wolverines improved to 24-7 overall and 3-1 in conference action.
“We gave the first game away,” Linda Kalafatis, OSU head coach, said. “You can’t give Michigan extra outs and make as many mistakes as we did. I thought our kids played tough in the first game and made some mistakes in the last inning and that cost us the game. Michigan out played us in every aspect of the second game. They are a tough team and I thought we matched up well with them. We just have to regroup and get ready for two really tough teams in Wisconsin and Minnesota.”
UM wasted no time getting on the board. Kelsey Kollen led off with a double down the left field line and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Two batters later, Monica Schock singled to center to bring in Kollen for a 1-0 lead. The Buckeyes quickly responded with Jennifer Link (Jr., Yorba Linda, Calif./Sonora) and Smith both singling. After Link was picked off trying to steal second, Smith advanced to second on a wild pitch, to third on a passed ball and scored on a passed ball to tie the game at one. OSU could not muster any offense until the bottom of the fifth. In the meantime, UM took control of the game.
After a scoreless second, the Wolverines exploded for five runs in the third. Meghan Doe singled to right followed by a Stefanie Volpe single to right and a two RBI double to left center by Schock. After a sacrifice bunt to move Schock to third, Melinda Moulden singled to left and Jessica Merchant launched a three-run home run to left center to make the score 6-1. UM added a solo shot by Kollen in the fourth for a 7-1 lead. In the bottom of the fifth, Kristine Himes (Jr., Bolivar, Ohio/Tuscarawas Valley) added to her career home run total with her 10th on the year. Himes, with one out, deposited a Nicole Motycka offering over the center field fence to cut the UM lead to 7-2. The Wolverines came right back in the top of the sixth with Kollen scoring for the third time in the game. After singling to left, Marissa Young’s double to right center brought her in for the final score of the game.
Katie Chain (Jr., North Canton, Ohio/Hoover) went the distance with three strikeouts but surrendered 13 hits and eight runs, all earned, to drop her record to 11-4 on the year. Motycka went seven innings with three strikeouts and two runs, one earned, on six hits.
The Buckeyes return to action at 2 p.m. Wednesday at home for a doubleheader with the Thundering Herd of Marshall at Buckeye Field.
