Buckeyes Drop 2-1 Heartbreaker to Minnesota in 13 Innings – Ohio State Buckeyes
4/25/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 25, 2003
Box Score
The Ohio State softball team (23-19; 4-7 Big Ten) dropped a 2-1 heartbreaker to Minnesota (33-15-1; 9-6 Big Ten) at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium in Minneapolis Friday night. It took 13 innings for Minnesota’s Veronica Roberts to score her second run of the evening and Anne Thul to earn her second RBI, which gave Minnesota the extra-inning conference victory. Junior pitcher Kristi DeVries (Corona, Calif.) racked up 15 strikeouts and moved to 10-8 on the year.
The Buckeyes and the Golden Gophers traded runs at the bottom of the sixth and the top of the seventh to tie the game at 1-1. Minnesota’s Roberts singled to left field and crossed home plate on a strong triple down the right line by Thul.
The Buckeyes responded when senior Jennifer Link (Yorba Linda, Calif.), who went 3-for-6, hit a double to left field and was brought home on the next play by a DeVries’ single to right field.
It took six more innings for either team to score, but Minnesota’s Roberts, who went 2-for-5, singled to second base and advanced off Angie Recknor’s sacrifice bunt before crossing home off a hit to left field by Thul.
Ohio State’s defense was solid and left a combined eight Minnesota players on base, including two each in the eighth and ninth innings.
Besides Link’s three hits, sophomore Karisa Evans (Franklin, Ohio) tallied two hits and DeVries, senior Kristine Himes (Bolivar, Ohio) and sophomore Ashley Cutcliff (Zionsville, Ind.) each earned one hit apiece.
Minnesota brought in three pitchers throughout the evening,, but Lyn Peyer was credited with the win and improved to 3-0 on the season. The Buckeyes take on Minnesota in game two Saturday, April 26, at 1 p.m. ET at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium in Minneapolis.
