Back-to-Back Bombs Send Ohio State Past Loyola Marymount, 4-1, in Game Two – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/21/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 21, 2007
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LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Seniors Jamee Juarez and Megan Schwab hit back-to-back home runs with two outs in the fourth inning and Juarez, making her 100th career start in the circle, struck out eight to send the Ohio State softball team past Loyola Marymount Wednesday in game two of a doubleheader at LMU’s Smith Field in Los Angeles.
After dropping game one, 3-2, the Buckeyes improve to 15-12 overall, while Loyola Marymount moves to 25-12 and sees its 12 game winning streak, which included 11 consecutive wins at home, come to an end.
“Jamee might have pitched her best game of the year today in that second game,” Linda Kalafatis, Ohio State head coach, said. “And she got us on track offensively when she hit that ball out. I thought our kids played a lot tougher in that second game. It was a battle between two pretty evenly matched teams and I’m glad our kids responded in the second game.”
Ohio State trailed 1-0 heading into the fourth inning and with two outs LMU shortstop Megan Ackerman booted a ground ball to keep the inning alive for the Buckeyes. Juarez (La Puente, Calif./Wilson) made it hurt with a two-run homer to straight away centerfield and Schwab (Glendale, Ariz./Sunrise Mountain) then followed with a solo shot to right. The home runs were the second of the season for both players.
In her 100th career start as a Buckeye, Juarez won her 60th game, giving her sole possession of second place on Ohio State’s all-time wins list. Juarez (5-7) had been tied with Kristi DeVries, who won 59 games from 2001-04. Katie Chain (2000-03) owns the career wins record with 67.
Juarez struck out eight, walked one and scattered six hits and notched her 58th career complete game.
LMU starter Tiffany Pagano, whose sister Bridgett pitched four innings against Ohio State yesterday for Long Beach State, struck out nine and allowed only one earned run. That came in the seventh inning when junior Liz Caputo (Riverside, Calif./Riverside Poly) singled to left, stole second, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by senior Nycole Koyano (Walnut, Calif./Walnut) and then scored on a grounder to first by junior Brittany Vanderink (Hiram, Ohio/Crestwood).
The Buckeyes have an off day Thursday, then will resume their spring break schedule Friday with games against San Diego State and Utah at Cal State Fullerton.
### Go Bucks! ###
