Central Michigan University Athletics
Ohio State Shuts Out Softball At NCAA Regional, 7-0
5/17/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 17, 2002
ANN ARBOR -- Central Michigan went to bed with a two-run deficit last night following suspened play of its game with Ohio State at the NCAA Regional in Ann Arbor.
On Friday morning, the Chippewas couldn't get any offense going as the high-powered Buckeye offense added five more runs to win 7-0 in a meeting between the No. 3 and 4 seeds. The No. 3 Buckeyes now advance to face No. 2 Michigan while CMU faces the winner of Canisius and Oakland. CMU's game will begin at 2 p.m., on Friday.
The game began at 4:30 p.m., on Thursday but a four hour and 20 minute rain delay came in the third inning of a scoreless game. Play resumed at around 9:15 p.m., on Thursday evening and one inning was played before the game was suspended and resumed on Friday morning.
Ohio State took a 2-0 lead in the third when Stacy Roth blasted a two-run homer under the lights when play was resumed on Thursday night.
The Buckeyes added two more runs in the fifth on Friday morning and three more in the sixth for a seven-run cushion.
Ohio State pitcher Katie Chain kept CMU's bats in check both days. She went the distance allowing just four hits while picking up her sixth shutout of the season. She fanned 12 while walking two.
OSU tallied just six hits in the game, four off Amber Puchalski and two off reliever Wendy Stephens. Puchalski went 5.0 innings and gave up four hits and four runs (two earned). She walked five while striking out one. Stephens threw one inning of relief and allowed two hits and three runs (two earned). Both teams committed two errors in the game.
Picking up hits for CMU were Becky Manson, Karly McCormack, Sarah Hamilton and Natalie de la Vega. de la Vega doubled in the third inning and went to third on a sacrifice by Manson when the first rain delay came. Karly McCormack was at the plate with two outs and an 0-2 count when the delay came. When play was resumed in the evening, McCormack struck out ending CMU's threat.
Ohio State's All-Big Ten combo of Wendy Allen and Roth were each 1-for-3 with three RBI.
The Buckeyes two runs in the fifth came on a sac fly by Allen and a suicide sqeeze by Roth. OSU tacked on three more in the sixth with a two-run single by Allen and fielding error by Stephens in the circle.
Ohio State entered the game as one of the top offensive teams in the country, ranking second in batting average .339 and fifth in runs (5.72) while slamming 53 homers and stealing 115 bases.
If Central Michigan wins its 2 p.m. game with the Canisius-Oakland winner, the Chippewas will face top-seeded Washington at 7 p.m. on Friday night.
