Ohio State-Michigan State Game Halted Because of Rain – Ohio State Buckeyes
5/8/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
COLUMBUS, Ohio – After an hour delay, the Ohio State-Michigan State softball game was postponed in the top of the fourth inning because of rain showers in the Columbus area. The game will resume at 11 a.m. Sunday at Buckeye Field.
Michigan State held a 7-0 lead with two outs with runners on first and third in the top of the fourth before play was stopped at 7:15 p.m.
Lindsey Hansen got the Spartans the early 1-0 lead in the top of the first when she claimed her 20th home run of the season with a two-out solo shot to right center.
Melaina Saalfeld posted the first hit for the Scarlet and Gray in the bottom of the second with a one-out single to right center. But the squad’s potential rally was halted when Layne retired the side with a strikeout.
In the third, Michigan State loaded the bases following two hits and a hit batter against Kelly. The Buckeyes then made a pitching change as senior Brittany Goodchild came into the circle to relieve Kelly. The Spartans extended their lead to 3-0 after a walk to Lauren Kramer and a fielder’s choice by Brett Williams. After Goodchild got the force out at home to record the second out, the Green and White plated their third run of the inning on a wild pitch.
In the bottom of the inning, Julia Pecina led things off with a hard line-drive single to left center field, but the team stranded her at second following back-to-back to groundouts to third.
The Spartans made it 6-0 in the top of the fourth when first baseman Heidi Purtzer sent a two-run single down the left field line with runners on second and third. Michigan State added another run following a two-out RBI single by Jenny Ramsaier for the 7-0 MSU advantage. The Spartan batters were making Goodchild work as she threw 64 pitches in 1.2 innings before the delay.
Play was then stopped with two outs when showers settled over Buckeye Field as the grounds crew laid down the tarp and the teams headed to their respective dugouts.
Following the completion of game one, the Buckeyes and Spartans will close out the two-game series at noon Sunday live on Big Ten Network.
