Ohio State Softball Drops Game One to Michigan State, 4-2 – Ohio State Buckeyes
4/16/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 16, 2004
Box Score
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State softball team (25-15; 2-5 Big Ten) lost to Michigan State (24-16; 4-5 Big Ten), 4-2, Friday night at Buckeye Field. The Spartans went up 1-0 to open the game and extended the lead to 3-0 after three innings. While Ohio State fought back with two runs in the bottom of the fourth, it would not prove to be enough for the conference victory. Michigan State’s Christy McGrew improved to 4-1 and Ohio State’s Kristi DeVries evened out at 8-8 on the year. DeVries tallied eight strikeouts for the evening.
Sophomore Chelsea Baker continued her hot hitting with a 2-for-3 night at bat, including a double that brought in the two Ohio State scorers in the fourth inning. Rookie Nycole Koyano and junior Karisa Evans, who was 2-for-3 at the plate, crossed home off Baker’s double to left centerfield.
Michigan State tallied a run in the first inning to start things off when Angel Merren reached on a shot to centerfield, stole second and crossed home off a Brittney Green double that dropped behind the Ohio State centerfielder. The Buckeyes quickly regrouped as DeVries caught Spartan Dayna Fennstra looking, which left Green and Elizabeth Peterson, who had been hit by a pitch, on base.
The only Buckeye to reach base in the bottom of the first was Evans, who used a bunt to reach first base, but she was left on to close the inning.
In the top of the third, MSU’s Nicole Mercado hit a single to right centerfield and was sent home when Natalie Furrow nailed a home run down the right field line, which gave the Spartans a 3-0 lead.
During the bottom of the third, DeVries hit a single that dropped between all three Michigan State defenders in the left field. Shortstop Jennifer Johnson came in to run for DeVries, but was called out on a turned double play by MSU that caught Johnson at second and Meghan Rowlands at first.
Despite a Feenstra hit to right centerfield to open the top of the fourth inning, Ohio State’s defense tallied three consecutive Spartan outs to close the inning.
Ohio State’s offense got in motion during the bottom of the fourth inning. Koyano hit a single to right field to open the inning and advanced to second off another single to right field by Evans. Both runners advanced on an MSU wild pitch. Baker’s double to centerfield brought in both Koyano and Evans, which pulled the Buckeyes to within one, 3-2.Baker used another Spartan wild pitch to get to third, but was left on base.
In the top of the fifth, Michigan State’s Mercado singled to the left line, advanced to second when Furrow was walked and went to third off a Green single to left field. Mercado then crossed home plate on the same play after an error by the Ohio State left fielder. Buckeye shortstop Johnson hit first base player Beth McAbier to get the third out of the inning with MSU up, 4-2, over Ohio State.
Ohio State rookie Jamee Juarez was walked to open the bottom of the sixth and a Baker single to left field put Juarez on second. Michigan State’s Jessica Beech was sent in to relieve McGrew on the mound with Juarez and Baker on base. Beech caught McAbier swinging and catcher Natalie Hales flied out to left field to end the sixth.
MSU’s Furrow was the only runner from either team to get on base in the seventh off a single to centerfield. Furrow was 2-for-4 with two RBI, a home run and one run scored for the game.
Ohio State faces Michigan State at noon Saturday before taking on the Wildcats of Northwestern in a doubleheader at noon Sunday. All three games will take place at Buckeye Field. The senior class of DeVries, McAbier and Breana Pozzi, who will be playing in their final regular-season home weekend of the season, will be honored in a postgame ceremony Saturday following the Buckeye-Spartan matchup.
