Ohio State Softball Drops Final Home Game, 6-2, to Penn State – Ohio State Buckeyes
5/4/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 4, 2003
Stats
The Ohio State softball team (26-23; 5-11 Big Ten) closed the regular-season portion of their schedule with a 6-2 loss to Penn State (30-21; 9-9) Sunday afternoon at Buckeye Field. Senior Jenn Link (Yorba Linda, Calif.) hit her first homerun this season and both Karisa Evans (So., Franklin, Ohio) and Kristine Himes (Sr., Bolivar, Ohio) went 2-for-3, but it would not prove enough to help Ohio State clinch the win. Penn State used the fifth inning to score four runs and seal the conference victory. Senior pitcher Katie Chain (North Canton, Ohio) was assigned the loss and moved to 12-12 this season, while Penn State’s Shana Riggleman earned the win and improved to 11-3 overall.
Penn State scored first in the bottom of the second inning when catcher Erica Greenberg reached first on a fielder’s choice, stole second and advanced home off a double to left field by Megan Humphrey.
Ohio State responded in the next inning by taking a 2-1 lead. With two outs, Evans, who went 2-for-3 for the second consecutive game, hit a double through the right side and was brought home off Link’s second-career homerun to right field.
Ohio State would maintain their lead until the fifth inning when Penn State’s Jackie Dabrowski and Humphrey crossed home and sent the Nittany Lions up 3-2. Dabrowski, who pinch ran for Destinie Chavez after she singled to right centerfield, advanced to second off a Humphrey single to the pitcher, took third off a sacrifice bunt by Barbie Pierce and came home off a Gina Bianchini single to shortstop. Bianchini then stole second and Humphrey came home on the next play off a Mandy Nuxoll single to third base.
Junior pitcher Kristi DeVries (Corona, Calif.) was brought in to relief Chain, but Penn State continued to convert offensively. Kelley Galigher doubled to centerfield and scored Bianchini before Erin Norton hit a single to right field to score the fourth and final run of the inning when Nuxoll crossed the plate.
Despite an Annie Dedic (Yorba Linda, Calif.) hit in the sixth inning, Ohio State could not get another score on the board.
Penn State scored again in the bottom of the sixth. Chavez was brought home after she was walked, advanced to second on a Buckeye error, took third when Bianchini singled to the shortstop and scored off a Nuxoll single to the pitcher.
