No. 18 Softball Defeats Oakland, 7-1, at Buckeye Invitational – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/15/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 15, 2003
Box Score
COLUMBUS, Ohio -The No. 18 Ohio State softball team (11-6) beat Oakland (5-11), 7-1, in the team’s first game of the Buckeye Invitational and its home opener Saturday afternoon at Buckeye Field. Karisa Evans (So./Franklin, Ohio), Natalie Hales (So./Canton, Ohio), Rogeanna Hottinger (Sr./Newark, Ohio), Jennifer Link (Sr./Yorba Linda, Calif.), Beth McAbier (Jr./Carrollton, Ohio), Breana Pozzi (Jr./Petaluma, Calif.) and Meghan Rowlands (So./Hilliard, Ohio) each scored a run for Ohio State. Pozzi accumulated three RBI’s and Hales tallied two, while Buckeye pitcher Kristi DeVries (Jr., Corona/Calif.) pitched a complete game and improved her record to 7-2.
Pozzi started things off for the Buckeyes as she walked and advanced to second off a Kristine Himes’ (Sr./Bolivar, Ohio) double to left field before being sent home due to a Golden Grizzlies’ error.
The second inning was the most productive offensively for Ohio State as Pozzi brought home Evans, Hottinger and Hales when she singled to center field. The bases had been loaded by an Oakland error, a walk and a fielder’s choice by Hales, Hottinger and Evans, respectively.
Oakland fought back in the second and third innings. Oakland’s Christina Schulte and Jennifer Granger were left on base at the bottom of the second inning when DeVries struck out Tiffany Evans. Oakland responded defensively at the top of the third by not allowing a Buckeye hit. Golden Grizzly Valene Hair pinch ran for pitcher Linnea Utecht, who hit a double to left center and advanced to third after Megan Piar singled through the left side. Hair stole home to score, but that would be as far as Oakland would get. The very next inning, OSU’s Rowlands was hit by a pitch, stole second and came home off an Evans’ single.
The last two Buckeye runs came at the top of the seventh when McAbier and Link scored thanks to a Hales’ single up the middle. McAbier had reached on a fielder’s choice and Link, who was pinch running for DeVries after she reached first base also on a fielder’s choice, were advanced around the bases after Elizabeth Kacsanek (Sr./Uniontown, Ohio) grounded out to the shortstop prior to Hales’ hit.
DeVries sealed the game for Ohio State by striking out Granger and catching Evans looking on either side of a Schulte fly out to centerfield.
