Ohio State Goes 5-0 at College Fall Classic
Douglas named Offensive MVP, Miller named most valuable pitcher
Oct. 16, 2006
COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Ohio State softball team wrapped up its fall schedule last weekend with a 5-0 performance at the College Fall Classic in North Lewisburg, Ohio. The Buckeyes topped Cedarville 11-0, Findlay 3-1, Northern Kentucky 7-0, Ohio Dominican 5-1 and Wright State 10-2.
Ohio State senior Christina Douglas (Mesa, Ariz./Dobson) was named the Offensive Most Valuable Player of the Classic, while freshman Megan Miller (Woodland Hills, Calif./El Camino Real) was named the Most Valuable Pitcher.
"We accomplished a lot of things, in one sense, but it also showed us some things we need to work on," Linda Kalafatis, Ohio State head coach, said. "It gave us some playing experience for our young kids, for sure, and for some of our returners, too. They definitely understand the plan and are willing to give and willing to work hard to become a championship team."
In the 11-0 tournament-opening win over Cedarville on Saturday, sophomore Courtney Pruner (Akron, Ohio/Ellet) and senior Jamee Juarez (La Puente, Calif./Wilson) combined for the shutout, while freshman Leah Ledford (West Chester, Ohio/Lakota West) went 3-for-3 with two home runs and a double. Douglas went 2-for-3 with a homer and a double, while Pruner also provided two hits.
In the nightcap Saturday, Miller notched her first of two wins in the Classic in Ohio State's 3-1 win over Findlay, a game that saw sophomore Kim Reeder (Salinas, Calif./Notre Dame H.S.) earn the save. Freshman Sam Marder (Calabasas, Calif./Calabasas) drove in two of the Buckeyes' runs, including one in the first inning and the other in the third. Juarez doubled twice and senior Megan Schwab (Glendale, Ariz./Sunrise Mountain) added two base hits. Junior Liz Caputo (Riverside, Calif./Riverside Poly) singled in the first and scored on Marder's double.
On Sunday, the Buckeyes began play with a 7-0 win over Northern Kentucky as Reeder tossed a one-hitter in the five-inning contest. Pruner and Schwab both homered, while Marder went 3-for-3 and junior Brittany Vanderink (Hiram, Ohio/Crestwood) went 2-for-3.
Ohio Dominican played the Buckeyes to a 1-1 stalemate through the early stages of the game before Ohio State smacked four home runs for a 5-1 win. Miller earned her second win of the weekend in the circle, while Douglas hit two solo home runs. Marder and Pruner hit back-to-back homers and freshman Tory Haddad (Valparaiso, Calif./Fort Walton Beach) collected two hits.
Juarez, with 54 wins in her career, won her only start of the weekend in the Classic finale against Wright State.
"In fact we only threw Jamee one game all fall," Kalafatis said. "We got all the freshmen a lot of playing time, not just (pitcher) Megan Miller. Before the Wright State game, I told the team that we hadn't jumped on anyone all fall, so that was our focus going into that game and the kids responded."
On their way to a 10-2 win, the Buckeyes scored four runs in the first inning and six more in the third to end the game early. Senior Lauren Daykin (Melbourne, Australia/Manatee C.C., Fla.) provided a three-run home run in the first inning, while Juarez, Schwab, Marder and freshman Whitney Cooper (Barstow, Calif./Barstow) all had two hits each.
The Buckeyes, 39-23 a year ago and 11-7 in the Big Ten for a fourth-place finish, now begin phase two of their fall agenda, which shifts to strength and conditioning and individual instruction.
### GO BUCKS! ###