Buckeyes Win Two at Day One of the 2010 OCCC – Ohio State Buckeyes
10/2/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
COLUMBUS, Ohio –The Ohio State softball team opened the 10th annual Ohio Collegiate Charity Classic with two wins Saturday, defeating Ohio, 8-0, and Toledo, 11-2, at Fred Beekman Park on The Ohio State University campus.
“It was good to see a lot of kids get a lot of playing time,” Linda Kalafatis, Ohio State head coach, said. “We put runs on the board and it was good to see our batters attacking at bat after only three weeks of practice. The key to us will be to continue to grow as a unit and prepare to grow at every outing.”
In game one, the Buckeyes run-ruled the Bobcats, scoring eight runs in five innings and ending the game after the top of the fifth. On the mound, senior pitcher Karisa Medrano had a solid outing, allowing just one hit through five innings in the shutout.
In the first inning, the Buckeyes went ahead 1-0 when junior Alicia Herron got on base with a single followed by a double to center field by freshman Evelyn Carrillo, scoring Herron.
In the second inning, Ohio State scored six runs to jump out to a 7-0 lead with nine Buckeyes reaching base safely. Medrano, freshman Leesa Gresham and sophomore Julia Pecina loaded the bases with base on balls to begin the offensive outburst. Sophomore right fielder Brittany Mills then reached based on an error, scoring freshman pinch-runner Melaina Saalfeld to put the Buckeyes ahead 2-0. After a fielders’ choice, lead-off hitter DeeDee Hillman hit a sacrifice-fly to right field, allowing Pecina to touch home plate.
Following another Buckeye walk by Brittany Goodchild, Herron emptied the bases on a triple. Carrillo then drove home Herron on her second double of the day for the 7-0 advantage over Ohio.
The Buckeyes got the 8-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. Herron reached on a base on balls and advanced to second on a pass ball. Carrillo hit in Herron for her third RBI of the day on a single, to finish 3-for-3 at the plate.
In the second game, the Buckeyes scored five runs in the first inning against the Rockets. Hillman got the momentum started with a single to right field followed by a walk to Goodchild. Herron hit a double down the left field line to score Hillman for the 1-0 lead. Carrillo hit her fourth-consecutive RBI at the plate in the clean-up spot on a sacrifice fly to left field for the second run of the game.
Ohio State would then hit back-to-back home runs at the plate. Sophomore third baseman Megan Coletta blasted a two-run home followed by a solo homerun by Gresham for the 5-0 lead.
The Rockets scored their two runs on solo home runs from Lindsey Tobias in the fourth inning and Sarah Stibaner in the fifth inning.
Ohio State answered with three runs in the fifth, one in the sixth and two in the seventh inning. In the fifth, sophomore catcher Cara Longworth hit a double down the left field line. After Hillman got her second hit of the day, Goodchild singled scoring two runs. Coletta hit a sacrifice fly to put the Buckeyes ahead, 8-1.
Hillman doubled in the sixth and scored following a Goodchild single, while Coletta and Gresham touched home plate in the final inning off a Pecina double to end the afternoon.
Freshman starting pitcher Kasie Kelly went five innings, allowing just four hits and striking out five Toledo batters. Freshman pitcher Audrey Plant threw the final two innings, giving up no runs on two strikeouts.
The Buckeyes will be back in action Sunday with two games to round out the weekend. Ohio State faces Kent State at noon before taking on Toledo at 2 p.m. on Field 1.
