No. 18 Softball Uses Long Ball To Blast Kentucky In Game One, 10-2 – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/5/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 5, 2003
Box Score
LEXINGTON, Ky.-The No. 18 Ohio State softball team (9-6) saw its offense finally come alive as they blasted Kentucky (6-9), 10-2, in game one of a doubleheader Wednesday at the UK Softball Complex in Lexington, Ky. Kristine Himes (Sr., Bolivar, Ohio), Ashley Cutcliff (So., Zionsville, Ind.) and Rogeanna Hottinger (Sr., Newark, Ohio) each left the yard for the Buckeyes as they recorded their fourth-consecutive victory. Katie Chain (Sr., North Canton, Ohio) pitched five innings for Ohio State as she improved her record to 4-3.
Himes went 2-for-3 with two RBI’s, blasting a solo home run and a run scoring triple. Cutcliff went 3-for-3 with home run, two doubles and an RBI as Hottinger went 1-for-3 with the solo homer.
“We’ve been waiting for that break out game for some time now,” Linda Kalafatis, OSU head coach, said. “I think our hitters benefited from facing some tough pitchers from some of the best teams in the country early in the season. You obviously don’t see the kind of hitting display by Himes to often. It was good to see Ashley and Rogeanna also finally get one.”
The Buckeyes took the quick lead on a Himes’ home run in the top of first. However, the Wildcats struck back with two runs off three hits, two doubles and a triple, in the bottom half of the inning.
But Ohio State would blow the game open in the in the second inning, scoring five runs on four hits including solo shots by Cutcliff and Hottinger. Cutcliff hit a mammoth shot over the left field fence to lead off the inning and Hottinger followed up with a solo shot of her own two batters later to give Ohio State a 3-2 lead. Meghan Rowlands (So., Hilliard, Ohio) then singled to center and advanced to second when Natalie Hales drew a walk. After Rowlands and Hales pulled off a double steal, Jennifer Link (Sr., Yorba Linda) knocked in Rowlands from third on an infield fielder’s choice as Rowlands beat the throw home from the shortstop. Hales then scored on an errant throw home by UK second baseman Nikki Jones as Link stole second on the play. Link would score the last run of the inning courtesy of a passed ball and a wild pitch by Wildcat pitcher Amy Kendall.
The scoring continued in the fourth as Natalie Hales (So., Canton, Ohio) led off with a double to right center and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Two batters later, Himes drove a triple to right-center to score Hales. Himes then scored the seventh Buckeye run on wild pitch.
Two more runs followed in the sixth as Hales again led off with a double, this time to left center. Link then followed with an RBI triple. Breana Pozzi (Jr., Petaluma, Calif.) then knocked in Link as she grounded out to second.
In all, the Buckeyes batted .400 for the game with three home runs, four doubles and a triple. Chain settled down after the first, shutting down the Wildcats over the next four innings. Chelsea Baker (Fr., Gahanna, Ohio) pitched the sixth inning, recording two strikeouts, to close out the win.
