No. 3 UCLA Scores Early for 4-1 Win Over Ohio State – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/24/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 24, 2006
Box Score
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – Third-ranked and defending national runner-up UCLA scored all its runs in the first two innings and held on for a 4-1 win over the Ohio State softball team Friday in the opener of the Palm Springs Classic at Big League Dreams Park. OSU freshman pitcher Kim Reeder tossed 4.1 innings of no-hit relief but the Buckeyes see their record slip to 5-5, while UCLA improves to 9-1.
Reeder (Salinas, Calif./Notre Dame H.S.) struck out four batters and retired the first 11 Bruins she faced.
Ohio State’s run in the fourth inning was the first earned run allowed by UCLA pitcher Angelica Seldon this season in 38 innings. She allowed just one hit and struck out nine Buckeyes, marking her first game this season without double-digit strikeouts.
Freshman Courtney Pruner (Akron, Ohio/Ellet) had the Buckeyes’ lone hit, which also produced OSU’s run. Junior Megan Schwab (Glendale, Ariz./Sunrise Mountain) led off the fourth inning with a walk, moved to second when senior Stacy Hibma (Buena Park, Calif./Valley Christian) was hit by a pitch and then scored on Pruner’s single down the left field line.
OSU junior Jamee Juarez (La Puente, Calif./Wilson) suffered the loss as she pitched one and two-third innings, striking out two. UCLA’s Andrea Duran hit a lead-off home run and two batters later Caitlin Benyi put the Bruins up 2-0 with another solo homer. Those two players, along with teammate Emily Zaplatosch, were all first-round picks in the National Pro Fastpitch draft last week.
In the second inning, three UCLA singles and a Juarez walk led to two more Bruin runs before Reeder came on in relief.
Seldon retired the first eight OSU hitters of the game and 10 of the last 11. In the fourth inning, however, Pruner’s RBI single came with one out and the Buckeyes would load the bases with two out when senior Billie Carder (Celina, Ohio/Celina) drew a walk, but a sharp grounder by junior Christina Douglas (Mesa, Ariz./Dobson) was snagged by UCLA’s Benyi at second base to end the inning.
Ohio State will face UC-Santa Barbara at 5:30 p.m. Friday.
### GO BUCKS! ###
