Ohio State Drops Classic Opener to Samford, 2-1 – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/3/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 3, 2007
Box Score | Notes
Box Score .PDF
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Samford’s Stephanie Royall pitched her ninth complete game of the season and the Bulldogs scored an unearned go-ahead run in the fifth inning to get past the Ohio State softball team, 2-1, Saturday at the Magic City Classic hosted by Alabama-Birmingham at George Ward Park.
Ohio State (5-6) got a complete game, too, from senior Jamee Juarez (La Puente, Calif./Wilson), who struck out a season-high 10, but Samford (9-6) collected six hits, including a solo home run.
In her third career plate appearance, Ohio State freshman Tory Haddad (Valparaiso, Calif./Fort Walton Beach) lined a one-out single up the middle to put the Buckeyes up, 1-0, in the second inning. Sophomore Courtney Pruner (Akron, Ohio/Ellet) had led off the inning with a walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Juarez, then scored on Haddad’s single.
Pruner would be the only Buckeye to reach third base in the game.
Samford’s Shelly Stanley tied the game at 1-1 with a solo homer to leftfield to lead off the fourth inning. The Bulldogs put runners at second and third with one out, but Juarez was able to get a pop out and a ground out.
With the score tied 1-1 in the fifth inning, a lead-off walk to Samford’s No. 9 batter, Jeslyn Metcalf, and an Ohio State throwing error gave the Bulldogs a 2-1 lead that would hold as the final score. With Metcalf on second base, OSU catcher Lauren Daykin (Sr., Melbourne, Australia/Manatee C.C., Fla.) threw down to second for a pick-off attempt, prompting Metcalf to try for third. The throw to third by OSU second baseman Nycole Koyano (Walnut, Calif./Walnut) went into the Samford dugout, however, allowing Metcalf to score.
OSU junior Brittany Vanderink (Hiram, Ohio/Crestwood) hit a two-out single in the fifth and stole second, but was left there, as was senior Megan Schwab (Glendale, Ariz./Sunrise Mountain) who led off the sixth with a double.
Ohio State faces host UAB at 5 p.m. (CT) Saturday. On Sunday, the Buckeyes take on Birmingham-Southern at 10 a.m. (CT) and UAB at noon (CT).
### Go Bucks! ###
