No. 19 Softball Pulls Upset Of No. 6 California, 1-0 – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/1/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 1, 2003
Box Score
FULLERTON, Calif.-The No. 19/20 Ohio State softball team (6-6) rebounded from a pair of tough losses Friday to upset No. 6 and defending NCAA champion California Golden Bears (12-6), 1-0 Saturday in game three of the Cal State Fullerton/Worth Invitational. Kristine Himes (Sr., Bolivar, Ohio) smashed a solo home run, her third of the season, over the left field fence in the bottom of the fourth and Katie Chain (Sr., North Canton, Ohio) pitched a complete game to earn the win and improve her record to 2-2. Though the Buckeyes managed just three hits, their defense and pitching came through to help them pull off the upset.
Chain recorded six strikeouts, six of which came in the second inning, and allowed just five hits in the game. She never faced more than five batters in an inning and retired the Golden Bears in order in the fourth and seventh innings.
California’s most serious scoring threat came in the top of the third inning. With the bases loaded and one out, California’s Veronica Nelson hit into a 5-2-3 double play to end the inning. Nelson hit a slow roller to third which Himes fielded and threw home for the force out. Catcher Stacy Hibma (Fr., Buena Park, Calif.) then quickly rifled the ball to Kristi DeVries (Jr., Corona, Calif.) at first to complete the double play and turn away the Bears in the third.
The Bears had a runner at third again in the fifth inning courtesy of a Vicky Galindo two-out triple. However, Chain was able to get Lindsay James to ground out to second to end the inning. The Bears also threatened in the top half of the second when Jessica Pamanian stroked a one out double down the left field line, but Chain struck out the final two batters of the inning.
The win marks the second time this year the Buckeyes have defeated a Top 10 opponent and third against Top 25 competition. Ohio State defeated No. 8 DePaul, 4-3, Feb. 22 at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Ga. The Buckeyes are no strangers to close games either. Ten contests this year have been decided by two runs or less, with eight of those being one-run contests.
