Ohio State Softball Beats Purdue, 6-4, in Game One – Ohio State Buckeyes
4/30/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 30, 2004
Box Score
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State softball team (31-20; 6-9 Big Ten) beat Purdue (30-23; 3-12 Big Ten), 6-4, Friday afternoon at the Varsity Softball Complex in West Lafayette, Ind. The senior class of Kristi DeVries, Beth McAbier and Breana Pozzi became the winningest class in OSU history with 158 career victories. The Buckeyes scored the first run for either team by tallying six runs at the top of the sixth inning to take a 6-0 lead. Purdue fought back by notching two runs each in the bottom of the sixth and seven innings, but the Buckeyes held on for their sixth conference win this season. Senior pitcher DeVries won her fifth-consecutive game (13-9) and freshman pitcher Jamee Juarez notched her first save of the season. Purdue’s Brooke Baker fell to 16-11 for the year.
With no score for either team heading into the sixth, Ohio State’s Megan Schwab singled to left field, Juarez followed and pinch hitter DeVries singled to the left of centerfield to load the bases for the Buckeyes. Nicole Lancaster was brought in at first to run for DeVries. Pinch hitter Christina Douglas was walked, which walked in the first run of the game for either team when Schwab crossed home and sent OSU up, 1-0. In the next Ohio State at-bat, Natalie Hales was walked, which brought home Juarez.
Purdue’s Diana LaRiva was brought in at the mound to relieve Baker. Pinch hitter Billie Jo Carder doubled up the middle, which scored both Lancaster and Douglas and put the Buckeyes up, 4-0. With Carder on second and Hales on third, Karisa Evans hit a single to left field to bring home Hales and put Carder on third base. Evans stole second. Nycole Koyano was credited with an RBI on the next play when Carder crossed home plate to give Ohio State a 6-0 advantage at the end of the top of the sixth.
Purdue responded by tacking on two runs at the bottom of the sixth. Angela Knight singled to second base and Tricia Lilley was hit by a pitch to move Knight to second. Erika Peterson was walked, which loaded the bases for the Boilermakers. An error by Buckeye shortstop Carder put Shelli Messer on first, sent Knight and Lilley home and put Peterson on second. Carder caught a pop up by Lauren Devich and turned a double play by catching Messer at first. DeVries caught Purdue’s DaQueta Johnson swinging to end the sixth with OSU up, 6-2.
The Boilermakers would not give in easily as they scored two more in the bottom of the seventh. With two outs, Staci Falzon doubled to left field and scored when Knight hit a triple to left field. Lilley reached first off base hit to second base. A Buckeye error by second baseman Koyano advanced Lilley to second and scored Knight, but that was as close as Purdue would get. Ohio State won, 6-4, when Peterson was called out at first base.
Ohio State and Purdue play game two at 1 p.m. EDT Saturday before Ohio State faces the Hoosiers in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. EDT Sunday in Bloomington, Ind.
