Juarez Hits Three Homers, Pitches Two-Hitter to lead OSU Past No. 22 Oregon – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/25/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 25, 2006
Box Score
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – Junior Jamee Juarez tied a Big Ten and Ohio State record with three home runs and tossed a two-hit shutout to send the Buckeye softball team past No. 22 Oregon, 6-0, Saturday in the Palm Springs Classic at Big League Dreams Park. Juarez totaled a career-best five RBI and is just the second player in OSU history to hit three homers in a game, tying the record set by Amy Haug against Texas Feb. 14, 1997, which also stood alone as the Big Ten record until today.
Juarez (La Puente, Calif./Wilson) struck out six Oregon batters on the way to her 14th career shutout and give Ohio State (6-6) a win over a ranked team for the first time since March 6, 2005, at No. 19 Georgia Tech. Oregon, an NCAA tournament team last year, falls to 7-7. The shutout was the first this season for Ohio State and Juarez, who improves to 4-4 in the circle.
With two outs in the second inning and OSU junior Christina Douglas (Mesa, Ariz./Dobson) on first base after a single, Juarez launched her first home run of the game to left field. With one out in the fourth inning and Douglas again on first base after another single, Juarez send her second two-run shot to left centerfield. She then led off the sixth inning with a solo bomb to straight away centerfield for the game’s final run. The home runs for Juarez are her first three of the season and give her eight for her career.
Haug’s three homers against Texas in 1997 tied the NCAA record, which was later rewritten by Jill Iacona of Canisius when she hit four home runs against St. Francis (Pa.) on April 5, 2002. Until today, the only other Big Ten game to involve three home runs by the same player was March 3, 2003, when Washington’s Kristen Rivera hit three homers against Purdue.
Juarez allowed a single to the first Oregon batter of the game, but set down 12 of the next 14 Ducks, with OSU errors allowing the only two base runners to reach base. The Buckeyes turned two double-plays in the game, marking their first two of the season.
OSU senior Chelsea Baker (Gahanna, Ohio/DeSales) tied a career high with three hits in the game with a 3-for-4 day at the plate, while junior Nycole Koyano (Walnut, Calif./Walnut) was also 3-for-4. Baker led off the fifth inning with a single and later scored on a sacrifice fly by junior Lauren Daykin (Melbourne, Australia/Manatee C.C., Fla.).
Ohio State will face No. 1 Arizona at 5:30 p.m. Saturday as the Palm Springs Classic continues.
### GO BUCKS! ###
