No. 20 Softball Falls To Northwestern In Game 2, 10-3 – Ohio State Buckeyes
4/5/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 5, 2003
Box Score
EVANSTON, Ill.-The No. 20 Ohio State softball team (17-12, 2-2) dropped game two of a doubleheader with Northwestern Saturday, 10-3, in Evanston, Ill. The Wildcats (20-10, 2-4) jumped on the Buckeyes early and often to earn their second conference win and complete the doubleheader sweep. Cindy Muran and Kristen Amegin each homered for the Wildcats and Northwestern took advantage of three Ohio State errors to secure the win.
The Buckeyes were led by Annie Dedic (Sr., Yorba Linda, Calif.) and Kristine Himes (Sr., Bolivar, Ohio), each of whom went 2-for-4. Katie Chain (Sr., North Canton, Ohio) earned the loss for the second-consecutive game as she gave up three runs on four hits in one inning. Chelsea Baker (Fr., Gahanna, Ohio) pitched four innings of relief while Andrea Tribuzi (Fr., Plano, Texas) pitched the final two innings, giving up four hits and two unearned runs.
The Wildcats started the scoring right away in the top of the first when Erin Mobley doubled down the right-field line, scoring Carrie Leto from second. Mobley next crossed the plate two hitters later when Jamie Dotson doubled to left-center. The final run of the inning came off a Natalie Hales (So., Canton, Ohio) throwing error from behind the plate. Hales’ throw to third sailed down the left-field line as she attempted to pick off Muran from third who scored on the play. Northwestern added a fourth run in the third as Baker walked Amegin with the bases loaded.
One of the few bright spots of the game for Ohio State came in the bottom of the second when Amy Ellis (Sr., Erie, Pa.) smacked her first career homerun off the left field foul pole. The homer, which cut NU’s lead to 4-2, was a two-run shot which also scored Meghan Rowlands (So., Hilliard, Ohio) who singled to third the previous at bat. The Buckeyes saw the Wildcats add three more runs in the fifth inning as Baker gave up two home runs to Muran and Amegin. Muran’s home run was a solo shot to lead off the inning and Amegin’s was a two-run three batters later.
The last two Northwestern scores came in the sixth when J.C. Kira hit a two RBI doubled to right-center to give the Wildcats a 10-2 lead.
Ohio State, however, would not let the game end in a mercy rule as they added a third run in the bottom of the sixth. Dedic and Billie Jo Carder (Fr., Celina, Ohio) led off with consecutive singles. Ashley Cutcliff (So., Zionsville, Ind.) then was hit a pitch three batters later with the bases loaded to force in Dedic from third.
The Buckeyes will look to bounce back at noon Sunday when they travel to Champaign, Ill. for a doubleheader with Illinois.
