Ohio State Softball Posts 4-0 Shutout of Gardner-Webb – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/4/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 4, 2005
Box Score
MARIETTA, Ga. – Ohio State sophomore pitcher Jamee Juarez retired the final 18 consecutive batters she faced, a career-high, and notched her fourth career shutout to lead the Buckeye softball team (6-5) to a 4-0 victory over Gardner-Webb Friday in the opening game of the Buzz Classic hosted by Georgia Tech at the Al Bishop Softball Complex in Marietta, Ga.
Juarez (La Puente, Calif./Wilson) struck out seven GWU batters and allowed just three hits to improve her record in the circle to 4-4 this season. She collects the decision for the sixth time in Ohio State’s last seven games.
In the second inning, sophomore Nycole Koyano (Walnut, Calif./Walnut) tripled down the right field line, her third triple of the season, and scored one batter later on a squeeze bunt by senior Karisa Evans (Franklin, Ohio/Franklin). Koyano’s triple was Ohio State’s sixth of the season, which is already just one shy of the Buckeyes’ total of seven triples in 60 games all of last season.
Senior Meghan Rowlands (Hilliard, Ohio/Bishop Ready) was hit by a pitch to lead off the fifth inning and one batter later put the Buckeyes up, 2-0. She scored on consecutive fielding errors by the Bulldogs, the first on a failed pick-off attempt and the second on a sacrifice bunt by Koyano.
Junior Billie Jo Carder (Celina, Ohio/Celina), who finished the game 2-for-3, singled in the sixth inning, advanced to second base on a single by senior Jennifer Johnson (La Mirada, Calif./La Mirada). Carder later scored on a double-steal with pinch-runner freshman Stephanie Hill (Centerville, Ohio/Centerville) to put Ohio State up, 3-0. In the seventh inning, Rowlands singled and later scored on an RBI single by Evans for OSU’s final margin of victory. Gardner-Webb falls to 6-8-1.
Ohio State, which won the Buzz Classic in 2002, will continue pool play in the tournament against South Dakota State at 6 p.m. Friday.
### GO BUCKS! ###
