Buckeyes Drop Extra-Inning Contest at Akron, 2-1 – Ohio State Buckeyes
5/2/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 2, 2007
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – A six-game winning streak came to an end Wednesday with a 2-1 loss in eight innings at Akron’s Lee Jackson Field in the Ohio State softball team’s final non-conference game of the regular season. However, the Buckeyes (33-16) will aim to put it behind them quickly in preparation for two games at home this weekend, when two wins over Penn State gives them the Big Ten title.
Akron (17-21) got a complete-game, five-strikeout effort from freshman Lindsay Bodeker (12-14), who held Ohio State to five hits and got out of bases-loaded jams in the top of the sixth and eighth innings.
“Their pitcher was very affective and kept us off balance,” Linda Kalafatis, Ohio State head coach, said. “They kept getting out of jams and building momentum. We just didn’t execute very well at all and we had three errors and left eight runners on base.”
Sophomore Kim Reeder (Salinas, Calif./Notre Dame H.S.) went the distance in the circle for the Buckeyes, her 12th complete game of the season, scattering four hits and not allowing a walk. Neither run she allowed was earned.
Trailing 1-0, Ohio State scored its lone run in the fifth inning when senior Jamee Juarez (La Puente, Calif./Wilson) hit her third triple of the season and scored on a sacrifice fly by senior Christina Douglas (Mesa, Ariz./Dobson).
After loading the bases but not scoring in the top of the eighth, Akron ended the game in their half of the inning when Kelsie Hanson reached on an error, stole second and scored on a walk-off RBI single by Lisa McLean.
“We made a quick point to tell them to put it behind us,” Kalafatis said. “We can’t let poor execution lead into the weekend. The kids were disappointed and know that we could have played a lot better. We have to get to work and move on.”
Senior Nycole Koyano (Walnut, Calif./Walnut) and junior Brittany Vanderink (Hiram, Ohio/Crestwood) both went 2-for-4 to lead Ohio State.
Ohio State faces Penn State at 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. If the Buckeyes win both games, they will win their second Big Ten championship and first since 1990 and host the Big Ten tournament May 10-12.
### Go Bucks! ###
