Buckeyes Clip Iowa in Series Finale

Stats

May 6, 2012

Box Score

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COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning to down the University of Iowa softball team, 2-1, Sunday afternoon at Buckeye Field. The Hawkeyes won 2-of-3 games in the series.

“It is a little frustrating coming out with the momentum we did, we didn’t take the momentum,” said UI head coach Marla Looper. “Today we had a couple physical and mental mistakes and that hurts.”

Trailing 1-0 heading into the top of the seventh inning, Iowa got a solo home run from designated player Michelle Zoeller to tie the game at one. Zoeller connected on the first pitch she saw off of OSU starter Mikayla Endicott and hit a high fly ball just over the fence in left field for her first career long ball.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Buckeyes got an infield single by Taylor Watkins before loading the bases on a walk by Vanessa Spears and a two-out walk by Evelyn Carrillo. Catcher Shelby Pickett then hit an RBI single up the middle to send Ohio State to the victory.

Sophomore Kayla Massey suffered the loss, allowing two runs on seven hits in 6.2 innings. She had two strikeouts to six walks to fall to 13-11 on the year. Endicott won her 17th game, allowing one run on eight hits with four strikeouts.

Three Iowa players accounted for six of the team’s eight hits. Seniors Katie Keim and Liz Watkins each went 2-for-3, while Zoeller was 2-for-2 with an RBI and run scored.

After leaving six runners on base over the first four innings, the Buckeyes broke through with one run in the fifth. Taylor Watkins reached on a bunt single to start the frame before using aggressive base-running to move up two bases on Spears’ sacrifice bunt.

Following a walk by Alicia Herron, the shortstop stole second to draw a throw and in the process took out Iowa shortstop Megan Blank on the play. Taylor Watkins broke on the throw and scored easily from third base to give the Buckeyes the 1-0 advantage.

The Hawkeyes had chances early in the game but they couldn’t score. Iowa loaded the bases in the second inning before Keim was tagged out at the plate to end the frame while trying to score on a wild pitch. In the fifth inning, Zoeller was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning before moving to second on a sacrifice bunt.

Junior Ashley Akers then reached on a bunt single, but OSU third baseman Megan Coletta threw behind Zoeller to Herron on the play to tally the second out and halt the threat.

Iowa closes out the regular season with a three-game series at Minnesota beginning Friday night at 7 p.m.