Softball: Kim Reeder Hurls No. 18 Ohio State Past No. 26 Fresno State, 1-0 – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/22/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. Junior Kim Reeder threw a four-hit shutout and the Buckeyes scored an unearned run in the sixth inning to account for all the scoring as the 18th-ranked Ohio State softball team shut out No. 26 Fresno State, 1-0, Friday in the opener of the Palm Springs Classic at Big League Dreams Sports Complex.
Reeder improves to 4-1 this season and the Buckeyes, who had four hits themselves, are now 9-2 overall.
After five-consecutive wins to begin the season, Fresno State pitcher Morgan Melloh suffers her first loss, but has yet to allow an earned run this season in 34.1 innings. The Bulldogs are 5-2 overall.
Reeder allowed just seven base runners in the game and struck out six. The shutout was her second of the season in five starts and eighth of her career. After allowing base runners in the previous four innings, Reeder set down the Bulldogs in order in the bottom of the seventh.
Through a steady drizzle, Reeder and Melloh rarely allowed a scoring opportunity, but Ohio State loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the sixth inning and scored on an RBI groundout by sophomore Whitney Cooper. Freshman Brittany Goodchild led off the inning with a single to leftfield and went to third on a two-base error by the FSU right-fielder on a long fly ball hit by OSU sophomore Sam Marder. Sophomore Tory Haddad walked to load the bases, bringing Cooper to the plate and she grounded to shortstop, allowing Goodchild to score.
The RBI marked Cooper’s second game-winning RBI of the season following her extra-inning double to send Ohio State past Stetson Feb. 10.
The Buckeyes got their first two batters on base in the top of the first inning when senior Brittany Vanderink walked and Goodchild singled to the shortstop. Mellow retired the side, however, beginning a string of 12-consecutive putouts. A pair of singles in the fifth inning first to leftfield by freshman Karisa Medrano and then through the left side by freshman Dee Dee Hillman, went for naught with a pair of strikeouts and ground ball.
Ohio State returns to action at 3 p.m. PT Friday against No. 23 Cal State Fullerton.
Postgame Notes No. 18 Ohio State 1, No. 26 Fresno State 0 … Feb. 22, 2008
– The start of the game was delayed 27 minutes by rain earlier in the morning.
– The Buckeyes have not been shut out in 47 consecutive games. The previous school record was 28 games.
– Buckeyes at the plate: Freshman Brittany Goodchild went 2-for-3 for her third multiple-hit game of the season.
– Freshman Karisa Medrano went 1-for-3 Friday against Fresno State. She is batting .500 (6-12) in her last for games.
– Senior Brittany Vanderink saw her 10-game hitting streak come to an end Friday against FSU.
– Buckeyes in the circle: Junior Kim Reeder went seven scoreless innings Friday against Fresno State to drop her season earned run average to 0.64. She has given up only three earned runs in 33.0 innings.
– Reeder, who ranks fourth all-time at Ohio State in career strikeouts with 319, has struck out at least one batter in all 60 collegiate starts and in 66 of 69 appearances overall.
– Ohio State is now 55-28 all-time when ranked.
– Weather: Cloudy and 61 degrees at first pitch. Little wind. Rain began in third inning and lasted throughout.
– Fresno State now leads the all-time series with Ohio State, 5-4, but the Buckeyes have won the last two meetings, both in Palm Springs.
– Fresno State has seven starters back from its 2007 team that went 47-18 and made its 26th NCAA regional appearance.
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Contact: Tim Stried, stried.3@osu.edu
