Ohio State Softball Tops Saint Mary’s, 7-4 – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/23/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 23, 2004
Box Score| Notes
MORAGA, Calif. – The Ohio State softball team scored the final three runs of the game to break a 4-4 tie and notch a 7-4 win at Saint Mary’s College Tuesday afternoon in the first game of a double-header in Moraga, Calif. The Buckeyes outscored the Gaels 5-1 over the final five innings of the game to improve to 16-7 on the season and win for the 11th time in their last 12 games.
The first four hitters in Ohio State’s lineup went a combined 9-for-13 in the game, led by a 3-for-4 performance by freshman Megan Schwab (Glendale, Ariz./Sunrise Mountain). The next three Buckeyes in the lineup all went 2-for-3, including freshman Nycole Koyano (Walnut, Calif./Walnut), junior Karisa Evans (Franklin, Ohio/Franklin) and junior Ashley Cutcliff (Zionsville, Ind./University of Florida).
Junior Meghan Rowlands (Hilliard, Ohio/Bishop Ready) also went 2-for-3 and knocked her second triple of the season. Rowlands, Schwab, Cutcliff and freshman Jamee Juarez (La Puente, Calif./Wilson) all drove in one run for the Buckeyes.
Ohio State stole a season-high seven bases in the game, including a pair of thefts of home on double steals.
Juarez went the distance on the mound to improve to 8-3 on the season. She struck out three batters.
Ohio State scored a pair of runs in the first inning as Koyano and Evans singled and later scored on an RBI single by Cutcliff and a Saint Mary’s throwing error, respectively. Saint Mary’s answered with two runs of its own in the bottom of the first inning and added another run in the bottom of the second to take a 3-2 lead. The Buckeyes regained the lead in the third inning as Schwab doubled then moved to third on a single by Koyano. The due executed a double steal to send Schwab across the plate and Koyano later scored on another RBI single by Cutcliff.
Rowlands scored following both of her hits. In the fourth inning she singled, advanced to third on a single by Schwab, then scored as the two pulled off another double steal. Her triple in the fifth inning scored sophomore Billie Jo Carder (Celina, Ohio/Celina), who had singled, and Rowlands later scored on an infield RBI single by Schwab.
Jenn Arnold led Saint Mary’s (7-22) with a pair of homeruns.
Ohio State will face Saint Mary’s in the second game of the double-header Tuesday afternoon.
### Go Bucks! ###
