Buckeyes Win Two at Day One of the 2009 OCCC – Ohio State Buckeyes
10/3/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State softball team opened the ninth-annual Ohio Collegiate Charity Classic with two wins Saturday, defeating Dayton, 11-1, and Ohio University, 7-1, at Fred Beekman Park on The Ohio State University campus.
“We had some goals set coming into this weekend and the team is staying focused and working toward those goals,” Linda Kalafatis, Ohio State head coach, said. “The weather has held up for and it great to see all these people out here not only supporting the teams but supporting the cause as well.”
In game one, the Buckeyes run ruled the Flyers, scoring 11 runs in four innings and ending the game after the top of the fifth. On the mound, senior pitcher Megan Miller dominated, recording eight strikes and allowing just four hits.
Ohio State jumped ahead early, scoring three runs in the first. Junior Dee Dee Hillman started things for the squad, hitting a double and freshman third baseman Megan Coletta got on base on balls. Sophomore Alicia Herron put the Buckeyes up 2-0 with a laser line-drive double to left center and then advanced to third on a passed ball. Next in the lineup, senior Whitney Cooper singled to bring Herron in.
After neither team scored in the second, the top of Ohio State’s lineup combined for a five-run fourth inning effort. After doubling in the first, Hillman hit a triple and Coletta followed with a RBI single. Another Dayton passed ball allowed the rookie to advance to second and Herron followed with a single, bringing up All-American Sam Marder. The senior catcher ripped a line drive to left center and gave the Buckeyes a 5-0 lead. The Ohio State offense was not finished as it went on to score three more before the end of the third for an 8-0 lead.
Miller threw her fourth and fifth strikeout of the game before Dayton’s Lauren Nacke put the Flyers on board with a solo homerun in the fourth. That would be all the Flyers would produce in the contest as the Buckeyes scored three more runs on the bottom of the inning, including a two-run homer from Marder to make it 11-1 Ohio State.
Miller struck out the side in the top fifth to secure Ohio State’s 11-1 victory.
In game two, freshman pitcher Melanie Nichols earned the start and kept Ohio scoreless until the seventh inning. Herron, at shortstop, and Coletta, at third, paired for some great grabs in the first inning to snuff out Ohio’s early attack.
In the second, Cooper showed her base running skills, getting to base on a walk before stealing second on hit and run. While taking third on a passed ball, a bad throw from Ohio’s catcher to third base allowed the senior to steal home and put the Buckeyes up 1-0.
The score remained the same until the Buckeyes added two more runs in the fifth. Herron hit her second double of the day, sending Vanessa Spears in from second. Marder followed with another RBI double to make it 3-0.
Marder would add some extra padding to Ohio State’ lead, belting out her second homerun of the day, this one a three-run shot, to put the Buckeyes up 6-0. Coletta hit an RBI single to end the team’s scoring for the day.
In the bottom of the seventh, Nichols allowed her first and only run of the outing, closing out the game for the 7-1 Buckeye victory.
Saturday Results
Noon games
Ohio State 11, Dayton 1
Toledo 11, Ohio Dominican 7
Ohio 8, Ashland 4
2 p.m. games
Ohio State 7, Ohio 1
Dayton 9, Ohio Dominican 2
Ashland 7, Toledo 0
