No. 25 Ohio State Overwhelms Purdue, 10-1, to Reach Title Game Sunday – Ohio State Buckeyes
5/11/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 11, 2007
Box Score
Box Score .PDF
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Purdue kept it close through four innings, but the 25th-ranked and top-seeded Ohio State softball team erupted for a three-run fifth inning and a five-run seventh to knock out the fifth-seeded Boilermakers, 10-1, Friday night at Buckeye Field in the semifinals of the Big Ten tournament. Ohio State now awaits a 1 p.m. date with sixth-ranked and second-seeded Northwestern in the tournament championship game, which will be televised live by CSTV. It will mark Ohio State’s first nationally televised game.
Northwestern topped 10th-ranked and third-seeded Michigan, 5-2, in the first semifinal Friday. Saturday, either Ohio State or Northwestern will win its first Big Ten tournament title since it became an annual event in 1995. The Wildcats won the first conference tournament in 1982 but it was not contested again until 1995.
Now 18-0 at home this season, the Buckeyes (37-16) got a three-hit, 12 strikeout effort from senior Jamee Juarez (La Puente, Calif./Wilson), who shut down a Purdue team that got swept at Ohio State in regular season and was making its first ever appearance in the Big Ten tournament semifinal round. Juarez is now 19-8 this season, has won her last 10 starts and has won 16 of her last 17 decisions.
“The team is just really focused right now and we’re playing great ball,” Linda Kalafatis, Ohio State head coach, said. “We have a whole lot of confidence and the team is looking forward to tomorrow’s challenge. The last two weeks have been so pressure-packed, but we’ve been dialed in out there and it has really shown in how we’ve been playing.”
OSU senior Nycole Koyano (Walnut, Calif./Walnut) went 3-for-3 and scored in all four plate appearances. Sophomore Courtney Pruner (Akron, Ohio/Ellet) went 3-for-4 with three RBI and junior Brittany Vanderink (Hiram, Ohio/Crestwood) finished 2-for-3 with two RBI.
Purdue (33-32-1), which upset fourth-seeded Iowa in the quarterfinals earlier Friday for the Boilermakers’ first Big Ten tournament victory, got a third-inning leadoff homer from Candace Curtis, but would not threaten again as Juarez retired 12 of the final 13 Purdue batters from that point on, including seven by strikeout.
Pruner drove in runs in the first, fifth and seventh innings with a single, double and single, respectively. Freshman Sam Marder (Calabasas, Calif./Calabasas) added an RBI single in the third inning and Vanderink laced a two-run double in the fifth. In the Buckeyes’ five-run seventh inning, senior Christina Douglas (Mesa, Ariz./Dobson) drove in a run with a single and senior Megan Schwab (Glendale, Ariz./Sunrise Mountain) cleared the bases with a two-run triple.
Ohio State Postgame Quotes
Linda Kalafatis, head coach
On OSU senior pitcher Jamee Juarez
“Jamee is such a great competitor, athlete and leader for this team. Tonight she had such great control, she was able to work ahead in the count the whole night and she was able to get some key strikeouts.”
On facing Northwestern Saturday
“Our team plays with a lot of confidence. Northwestern has great players, but our girls have been looking forward to this challenge. It’s going to be a battle and it will be tough.”
Jamee Juarez, senior pitcher
On the Big Ten tournament title game Saturday
“It’s going to be a battle to the end – a battle in every inning. Both teams are really hungry.”
On her keys to success Friday against Purdue
“Tonight I was hitting my spots and the defense behind was exceptional. We put some runs across the plate and it was a solid effort for our team.”
Nycole Koyano, senior shortstop
On the Big Ten tournament title game Saturday
“We’re psyched. If we beat Northwestern, I think it will further legitimize our place in the Big Ten. We want to come out, attack and hopefully end up on top. They definitely have a lot to fight for, but we have a very confident team with home field advantage.”
Postgame Notes – Ohio State 10, Purdue 1
– Ohio State will make its second appearance in the Big Ten tournament championship game Saturday. In 2002, the Buckeyes lost a 2-1 decision to Michigan in Ann Arbor in the title game.
– Ohio State extended its current school record streak scoring at least one run to 31 games Friday.
– The Buckeyes are now 31-5 this season when they score first.
– Ohio State is now 18-4 this season when scoring in the first inning. The Buckeyes have scored in the first inning in both of their Big Ten tournament games.
– The Buckeyes are now 8-2 at night this season.
– Buckeyes at the plate: Sophomore Courtney Pruner’s three hits Friday tied her career high. In her last 19 games, Pruner is batting .551 (27-49). In 10 night games this season, Pruner is batting .583 (14-24).
– Senior Nycole Koyano set a career-high with four runs scored Friday, which was one shy of the school record of five runs in one game set by Koyano’s former travel ball coach and former Buckeye, Jen Fredrickson, March 26, 1994 against Cleveland State.
– Koyano stole her 18th-consecutive base Friday night.
– Buckeyes in the circle: The complete game for Jamee Juarez Friday night was the 66th of her career, which is one shy of second all-time at Ohio State (Jodi Dolan, 67, 1995-99). Juarez already owns four OSU career pitching records.
– Weather: Clear and 77 degrees at first pitch. No wind.
### GO BUCKS! ###
