No. 20 Softball Tops Penn State, 4-3, for Rematch with Michigan – Ohio State Buckeyes
5/11/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 11, 2002
Recap
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The No. 20 Ohio State softball team defeated Penn State, 4-3, in the consolation finals of the Big Ten tournament at Alumni Field in Ann Arbor, Mich., Saturday to give Linda Kalafatis, OSU head coach, her 200th win with the program and gain a rematch with No. 11 Michigan in the tournament finals later in the day. Stacy Roth (Sr., Wauseon, Ohio/Wauseon) cranked her 14th home run of the year, a solo blast to left center field, and recorded three runs batted in on the day to help the Buckeyes, the No. 2 seed in the tourney, improve to 53-11 on the year with the Nittany Lions slipping to 32-24 with the loss. Roth went 2-for-2 on the day with a sacrifice bunt and was joined by Anna Smith (Sr., Walnut, Calif./Diamond Bar) and Wendy Allen (So., Moreno Valley, Calif./Moreno Valley) with two hits as both recorded 2-for-3 outings at the plate.
Smith singled in the first with one out but was called out after leaving early trying to steal second. The two other outs were groundouts bringing PSU to the plate. The Nittany Lions recorded two hits in the first two innings but did not score as the OSU defense held them in check. In the second, Roth broke the deadlock with her solo home run to left center. After three groundouts in a row, PSU answered back in the bottom half of the third with a run of its own. With one out, Gina Bianchini singled to short and moved to second on a groundout by Mandy Nuxoll. Jennifer Tripken, who had hit four home runs in the tournament, singled in Bianchini with a shot to right.
In the fourth, the Buckeyes tallied two runs to take a 3-1 lead. Smith led off with her 99th hit of the year with a single to center. Allen followed with a bunt single to put runners on first and second. Roth strolled to the plate and rocked a double to the gap in right to plate two. From there, Kristine Himes (Jr., Bolivar, Ohio/Tuscarawas Valley) singled to center and moved to second on the throw to chase starting pitcher Marisa Hanson. She was thrown out when Breana Pozzi (So., Petaluma, Calif./Casa Grande) lined to second in a double play. The Lions tried to answer back with Megan Humphrey knocking her second single of the game and again being stranded at first following caught bunt attempt, a fly out and a strikeout to end the inning.
After a quite three up and three down inning for OSU, the Nittany Lions rallied for a pair of runs with the bases loaded to chase Buckeye starter Katie Chain (Jr., North Canton, Ohio/Hoover). Susan Shuplock led off with a double to left center just under the glove of a diving Smith in center. With one out, Nuxoll singled to center for runners on the corners. Tripken was then walked to load the bases when Norton ripped a shot at third that nearly took HimesLsup>TM head off and ended up in left to bring in two runs and tie the game at three. Allen took the circle and struck out the next two batters to end the threat.
In the sixth, OSU struck back with one run for the 4-3 lead. With one out, Allen singled to right. The play was disputed as it appeared the right fielder made a diving catch but the umpires ruled it hit the ground first. Meghan Rowlands (Fr., Hilliard, Ohio/Bishop Ready) came in to run and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Roth. After walking Himes, Pozzi singled through the middle to plate Rowlands for the go ahead run. PSU picked up two hits with two outs but Allen got Nuxoll to ground out to first to end the threat.
In the seventh, OSU went down in order setting up the final showdown. Allen coaxed the first two batters to fly out to Chrissy Fowler (Sr., Utica, Ohio/Wright State) in left and Jennifer Link (Jr., Yorba Linda, Calif./Sonora) recorded the final out on a pop fly to second to give OSU its shot at the tournament title.
Chain and Allen combined for five strikeouts while allowing ten hits and three runs, all earned, while Allen picked up the win to move to 18-4 on the year.
