Himes, No. 18 Softball Hammer Kentucky In Game Two, 12-3 – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/5/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 5, 2003
Box Score
LEXINGTON, Ky.– Kristine Himes (Sr., Bolivar, Ohio) hit two home runs, one solo and the other a three-run shot, while driving in six runs as the No. 18 Ohio State softball team (10-6) picked up right where they left off in game one, crushing Kentucky (6-10) in game two, 12-3. For the second-consecutive game, the Buckeyes went deep three times. Himes hit the first two and Jennifer Johnson (So., La Mirada, Calif.) the other as the Buckeyes run-ruled the Wildcats by leading by eight runs or more after five innings.
“That was the first time I’ve ever hit three home runs in one day,” Himes said. “To get two breakout games like this feels amazing. What’s more important is that we did it as a team. Everyone hit the ball well today.”
Kristi DeVries (Jr., Corona, Calif.) and Andrea Tribuzi (Fr., Plano, Texas) combined to allow just three hits and no earned runs as DeVries picked up the win to improve to 6-2.
The Buckeyes started the onslaught in the first when DeVries drove a single to left-center, scoring Karisa Evans (So., Franklin, Ohio) and Beth McAbier (Jr., Carrollton, Texas) to give OSU the early 2-0 lead. Himes then extend the lead to 5-0 with a two-out, three run blast over the right center fence in the second.
The biggest inning for Ohio State came in the third as they poured on six more runs. DeVries led off with a single to center field and advanced to second two batters later on an Annie Dedic (Sr., Yorba Linda, Calif.) infield single. After a couple stolen bases by pinch runner Nicole Lancaster (Fr., Magnolia, Ohio) and Dedic, Rogeanna Hottinger (Sr., Newark, Ohio) drove in Lancaster on a sacrifice fly to center. Billie Jo Carder (Fr., Celina, Ohio) then doubled to right field to score Dedic. Jennifer Link (Sr., Yorba Linda, Calif.) then walk and Evans followed with a single to center to score Carder. Himes then blasted her third home run of the day, a three-run shot, to give Ohio State an 11-0 lead after three. Johnson topped off the scoring with a solo home run in the fifth.
Carder went 2-for-3 while Elizabeth Kacsanek (Sr., Uniontown, Ohio), Ashley Cutcliff (So., Zionsville, Ind.) and McAbier each had one hit a piece as the Buckeyes showered Wildcat pitcher Becky Abner with 12 hits over five innings.
The Buckeyes will be back in action at 2 p.m. March 11 as they open the home schedule with a doubleheader against the Dayton Flyers at Buckeye Field in Columbus.
