Ohio State Set to Play Wednesday Doubleheader at No. 2 Michigan – Ohio State Buckeyes
5/3/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Ohio State at No. 2 Michigan
May 4, 2011 – 5:30 p.m.
Wilpon Softball Complex
Ann Arbor, Mich.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – After sweeping Morehead State in a doubleheader April 29, the Ohio State softball team returns to Big Ten action in a doubleheader at No. 2/2 Michigan at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in Ann Arbor.
The Buckeyes (13-29, 2-10 Big Ten) defeated the Eagles, 2-1, in 10 innings in game one and, 6-3, in game two in Columbus to claim the sweep. The Wolverines (44-4, 12-2 Big Ten) continue conference play after sweeping Wisconsin on the road April 30-May 1 in Madison.
BIG TEN NETWORK
The doubleheader Wednesday will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network. Eric Collins will do the play-by-play along with Stacey Phillips as an analyst.
LIVE STATS
Live stats will be available on Gametracker at mgoblue.com. A link can be found on the softball schedule page at OhioStateBuckeyes.com.
SOLES4SOULS UNIVERSITY RV TOUR
The Buckeyes will host the Soles4Souls University RV Tour when they take on the Nittany Lions at 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 11 at Buckeye Field. Soles4Souls is a Nashville-based charity that collects new and used shoes to distribute to people in need around the world.
BUCKEYES TO COLLECT DONATIONS AT HOME GAMES
The Ohio State Softball team is currently collecting disaster relief items to assist with the recovery efforts in the Southern United States in the aftermath of the recent storms. We are asking fans to make donations of travel-size toiletry products as well as new and gently used clothing. Collections can be dropped off at the entrance of Buckeye Field at every remaining home game, culminating Wednesday, May 11, in the final home games of the 2011 campaign against Penn State. All donations will go directly to the Salvation Army. We thank you in advance for exemplifying the true Buckeye Spirit and donating to this worth cause.
QUICK HITS
- Michigan leads the all-time series vs. Ohio State 73-20.
- Last season, the Buckeyes split a doubleheader in vs. the Wolverines April 28 in Columbus.
- Junior co-captain Alicia Herron leads the squad batting .372 while recording 25 RBI, 33 runs, nine doubles, seven home runs and three triples. She also leads the team with a .669 slugging percentage while going a perfect 9-for-9 in stolen base attempts.
- Senior Brittany Goodchild is second on the team in batting with a .322 average, collecting 38 hits with three doubles.
- Senior co-captain Dee Dee Hillman is second on the team in runs scored with 21 this season. She is batting .257 with 36 hits and three triples with six stolen bases.
- Freshman Evelyn Carrillo is first on the squad with 30 RBI and second with six home runs. She has claimed 36 hits and 59 total bases and slugging .454 at the plate this season.
- Freshman Melaina Saalfeld is on a season-high five-game hit streak. She is batting .357 with a .643 slugging percentage during the stretch.
- Sophomore Megan Coletta gave the Buckeyes a 7-5 lead at Minnesota in game two April 2 in the top of the seventh when she posted a two-out, two-run home run – her second long ball of the season. Coletta gave the Buckeyes the 2-1 victory vs. Youngstown State April 21 after notching a two-out double in the bottom of the eighth at Buckeye Field.
- Senior pitcher Karisa Medrano claimed both victories at Minnesota April 2. In 10.2 innings of work, Medrano had seven strikeouts while opposing hitters batted just .143 against the senior Buckeye. She struck out seven YSU batters in four innings of work April 21 in Columbus to earn the victory. Most recently, Medrano claimed the victory vs. Morehead State in game one April 29, pitching 10.0 innings with seven strikeouts. She recorded her first career save in game two.
- Sophomore Julia Pecina helped the Buckeyes defeat Pittsburgh, 4-3, in game one April 6 with an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning.
- Goodchild made her first career start in the circle in game two vs. Pittsburgh April 6 at Buckeye Field.
- The Buckeyes posted a season-high 12 runs, 11 RBI and a .415 batting average in the 12-4 win vs. Evansville Feb. 20 in Mobile, Ala.
COLETTA IN THE CLUTCH
Sophomore Megan Coletta has come up with some big hits this season for the Buckeyes. Most recently, the native of Fullerton, Ohio, claimed the game-winning hit vs. Youngstown State April 21 in Columbus when she posted a two-out double to give the team a 2-1 victory in eight innings.
At Minnesota April 2, the Buckeye third baseman posted a two-run home run in the top of the seventh of game two to cap a six-run seventh inning comeback.
Coletta also notched a double in the bottom of the sixth in a 4-3 win vs. Pittsburgh in game one April 6 and scored the eventual game-winning run later that inning.
HERRON’S HITTING
Junior co-captain Alicia Herron is leading the team with a .372 batting average through 42 games this season. The Cypress, Calif., native hit .583 at the Holiday Inn Tulsa-City Center Festival, recording six RBI with two doubles and a home run. Herron recorded a season-high four RBI in the 10-4 loss vs. Drake March 5 – the big offensive game was the second time this year she has claimed at least four RBI in a single game.
At Minnesota April 2, Herron went 2-for-5 with a double, three runs scored and three walks in the doubleheader. The Buckeye shortstop notched a 3-for-4 performance vs. Purdue April 17 with a home run, double, two runs scored and two RBI. She also led off game one at Indiana April 13 with a solo home run vs. IU starting pitcher Morgan Melloh. She leads the team with 13 multi-hit performances this season and has collected 48 overall in her career.
SENIOR SUCCESS
Senior Brittany Goodchild has continued her success in her final season as a Buckeye after her breakout year in 2010. The Buckeye outfielder is second on the team in hitting with a .322 batting average, 38 hits and a .409 on-base percentage. She led Ohio State at the plate in the two wins at Minnesota April 2, going 4-for-8 with three runs scored and an RBI. At the Tulsa Tournament March 4-6, she guided the Buckeyes in the box, batting .600 with six hits, a double and two walks.
The native of West Hills, Calif., Goodchild also has become a key component to the pitching staff as a relief specialist. She is 1-1 this season in 12 appearances, pitching 18.1 innings. Before this season, Goodchild had just 0.1 innings pitched in her Buckeye career.
CARRILLO’S 11-GAME HIT STREAK
Freshman Evelyn Carrillo, a native of Corona, Calif., began her Buckeye career with a team-high 11-game hit streak from Feb. 12-Feb. 26. During the streak, the Buckeye first baseman collected a .359 batting average with 14 hits and 11 RBI.
Currently batting .277 this season, Carrillo has played in all 42 games and leads the team with 30 RBI and is second with six home runs. She is third on the team with 36 hits and third with a .454 slugging percentage.
BIG TEN CO-FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Melissa Rennie, a freshman catcher, was named Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week, the conference office announced Feb. 21. The native of Wellington, Ohio, claimed the weekly laurel along with freshman pitcher Cassee Layne of Michigan State.
In three games at the South Alabama Tournament, Rennie totaled seven hits, including three home runs with six RBI in her second career collegiate event.
Overall, Rennie has started in 33 games this season, batting .299 at the plate with 23 hits, 14 runs scored and three home runs with a .455 slugging percentage.
KALAFATIS CLAIMS 500 WINS
Head coach Linda Kalafatis claimed her 500th career victory at the helm of the Buckeyes last week in the 4-1 win vs. Harvard March 18 in San Diego, Calif.
In her 15th season at Ohio State, Kalafatis is one of the most successful coaches in the Big Ten and the NCAA. She is one of four conference coaches with more than 700 career wins, placing her among the Top 30 active coaches in the country.
The Buckeyes have won 30 or more games in nine of Kalafatis’ 14 seasons in Columbus and in each of the last seven seasons. Also the Big Ten coach of the year in 2002, she has guided Ohio State to six of the program’s seven NCAA tournament appearances (2002, ’04, ’06, ’07, ’09, ’10), including its first trip to the NCAA Super Regional in 2009.
Kalafatis entered the 2011 campaign with a 493-298 (.623) record in 14 years at Ohio State, which marks the best win total and winning percentage in program history. In 22 years as a collegiate head coach, including stops at her alma mater California (Pa.) and Akron, she owns a record of 778-437-2 (.640).
UP NEXT
Ohio State closes the home schedule with a five-game homestand beginning with Dayton Friday at Buckeye Field. Time is yet to be determined.
