Ohio State Falls in Extra-Innings to Drake, 4-3 – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/4/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 4, 2006
Box Score
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Drake senior Mollie Daniels provided a game-winning, bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth inning to send the Bulldogs past the Ohio State softball team, 4-3, Saturday in the Hampton Inn Crimson Classic hosted by Alabama. After knocking off sixth-ranked Alabama last night, the Buckeyes see their record slip to 8-9, while Drake improves to 6-10.
The Buckeyes led 3-1 in the third inning and still led 3-2 in the fifth, but Drake came back to tie the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the fifth. Ohio State falls to 2-3 in extra-inning games this season and the nine-inning affair is the longest game for OSU since a 2-0 win in 10 innings over Bethune-Cookman in the 2004 NCAA Tournament.
Depending on the outcome of the Coastal Carolina vs. Alabama game Saturday afternoon, the Buckeyes could carry the first, second or third seed into the championship portion of the four-team Crimson Classic. Seeds No. 1 and 4 will meet at 4 p.m. Saturday, followed by No. 2 vs. No. 3 at 6 p.m.
OSU junior Nycole Koyano (Walnut, Calif./Walnut) led Ohio State against Drake with a 2-for-4 day at the plate and stole a career-high three bases, bringing her career total to 44, which ties her for fourth all-time in OSU history with Candace Kollen (1995-98).
After opening the season 1-8, Drake, coached by former Ohio State assistant Rich Calvert (1993-96), swept Samford Thursday and split with Coastal Carolina (won 3-0) and Alabama (lost 9-0) Friday in Tuscaloosa. The Bulldogs were 28-25 last year and 14-13 in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Koyano and junior Megan Schwab (Glendale, Ariz./Sunrise Mountain) led off the game with singles and later scored to put the Buckeyes up, 2-0. Koyano stole second base and then home in a double-steal with Schwab, who scored on a sacrifice fly by junior Christina Douglas (Mesa, Ariz./Dobson).
OSU junior Lauren Daykin (Melbourne, Australia/Manatee C.C., Fla.) singled to lead off the third inning and her pinch-runner Stephanie Hill (So., Centerville, Ohio/Centerville) scored after a sacrifice bunt by senior Billie Carder (Celina, Ohio/Celina), an infield single by sophomore Brittany Vanderink (Hiram, Ohio/Crestwood) and an RBI single to right centerfield by Koyano.
A single by Drake’s Marilyn Buss and two OSU errors led to a Bulldog run in the second inning and Drake added another run in the third inning when Cassie Heller doubled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Lindsay Larry. The Bulldogs tied the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the fifth inning when Larry hit a two-out single, stole second and scored on a triple by Jamie Desjarlais.
OSU starting pitcher Jamee Juarez (Jr., La Puente, Calif./Wilson) worked into the fifth inning, striking out five. Freshman Kim Reeder (Fr., Salinas, Calif./Notre Dame H.S.) worked 4.0 innings and suffered the loss despite not allowing a hit and giving up one unearned run.
### GO BUCKS! ###
