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2006 OSU softball

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Ohio State Falls 6-3 to No. 1 Arizona in NCAA Regional

Daykin homers but No. 1 seed Wildcats pull away; OSU to face Auburn-Marist winner Friday at 9:30 p.m. (EDT)


May 19, 2006


TUCSON, Ariz. - Ohio State junior Lauren Daykin's fifth inning two-run home run of Arizona All-American Alicia Hollowell brought the Buckeyes to within one at 4-3, but the No. 1-ranked Wildcats added runs in the sixth and seventh to knock off the OSU softball team, 6-3, Friday in the NCAA Arizona Regional. Ohio State (39-22) will return to Hillenbrand Stadium in Tucson at 9:30 p.m. (EDT) Friday in an elimination game to face the winner of the Auburn-Marist game.

The winner of the game tonight will face No. 1 seed Arizona (46-9) Saturday in the regional championship game at 6 p.m. (EDT) on ESPN2.

When these two teams met February 25 in Palm Springs, Calif., Hollowell (25-4) struck out 18 Buckeyes and allowed two hits in Arizona's 5-1 win. Friday, however, OSU had four hits and scored three runs in the fifth inning in its bid for what would have been the first-ever win for the Buckeyes over the nation's top-ranked team.

"We made it interesting," Linda Kalafatis, Ohio State head coach, said. "Last time we played Arizona Hollowell struck us out 18 times, so it was our goal today to put the ball in play and we did a much better job of that. If we face her again, I'd like us to get the ball down more. We didn't play great defense and when you don't play great defense, Arizona is going to hurt you. We had the tying runs on second and third in the sixth inning, but when Hollowell has all her pitches working it's tough to beat her."

With the game-time temperature at 97 degrees, Hollowell retired 12 of the first 13 Buckeyes she faced and took a no-hitter into the fifth inning. Hollowell, a finalist for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award, ended the game with 10 strikeouts. However, it marked only the third time in her 31 starts that she allowed three or more earned runs.

In the fifth, OSU junior Christina Douglas (Mesa, Ariz./Dobson) led off with a single up the middle and moved to second on a wild pitch. Pruner, who homered off Hollowell in February, singled up the middle to score Douglas, who slid in just before the tag of Arizona catcher Callista Balko. That brought Daykin (Melbourne, Australia/Manatee C.C., Fla.) to the plate, who sent an offering from Hollowell just over the wall in left-centerfield for her third home run of the season.

Arizona, making its 20th-consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, is seeking its 18th trip to the Women's College World Series. The Wildcats have won 12-consecutive games, eight of which have been against opponents seeded No. 14 or better in the tournament. Ohio State entered the game 2-10 all-time against Arizona, but the Buckeyes' 4-0 win over the then-No. 2 ranked Wildcats at the 1996 Arizona State Coco-Cola Classic marked the highest ranked opponent to fall to the Buckeyes.

Ohio State was without senior co-captain Chelsea Baker (Gahanna, Ohio/DeSales), who suffered a knee and lower leg injury Thursday in the Buckeyes' 1-0 win over No. 25 Auburn. She entered the postseason with a team-high eight homers.

OSU freshman pitcher Kim Reeder (Salinas, Calif./Notre Dame H.S.) gave up two runs in the first inning and a two-run homer in the third by Kristie Fox, her 13th of the season. OSU freshman reliever Courtney Pruner (Akron, Ohio/Ellet) entered the game with no outs and a runner on first in the third and walked the first batter she faced but set down the next three Wildcats in order to stop the damage with Arizona up 4-0.

At that point, it was an uphill battle for the Buckeyes. Arizona entered the game 32-0 when it scored four or more runs.

Pruner kept Arizona in check in the fourth and fifth innings, but the Wildcats got an unearned run in the sixth and Balko knocked a solo homer in the seventh.

The Buckeyes put two runners in scoring position in the bottom of the sixth when Vanderink hit a bunt single and went to third on a throwing error by Hollowell. Juarez walked and stole second, but Hollowell got a groundout and a strikeout to keep the Wildcats on top.


### GO BUCKS! ###​
 
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Dispatch

5/20/06

OHIO STATE ROUNDUP

Buckeyes’ three-run fifth inning isn’t enough in 6-3 softball loss

Saturday, May 20, 2006

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The third-seeded Ohio State softball team closed to one run in the fifth inning, but No. 1 Arizona scored runs in each of the last two innings to win 6-3 in an NCAA regional game yesterday in Tucson, Ariz.

The Buckeyes (39-22) spoiled a no-hit bid by Alicia Hollowell (25-4) in the fifth. Freshman Courtney Pruner singled up the middle to score junior Christina Douglas and cut Arizona’s lead to 4-1. Junior Lauren Daykin’s two-run homer just over the left-center field wall cut the deficit to one.

Freshman starter Kim Reeder (16-11) took the loss. She gave up two runs in the first inning and a two-run homer in the third. Arizona (46-9) scored an unearned run in the sixth and had a home run in the seventh.
The Buckeyes put two runners in scoring position in the bottom of the sixth but failed to score. OSU will face the Auburn-Marist winner in an elimination game.
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The ladies' season comes to a close

Ohio State Eliminated from NCAA Regional by Auburn, 4-0


Buckeyes' season comes to an end at 39-23; Koyano and Schwab get two hits each in loss

May 19, 2006


TUCSON, Ariz. - The Ohio State softball team dropped a 4-0 decision to No. 25 Auburn Friday in an elimination game at the NCAA Arizona Regional at Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium in Tucson. Ohio State (39-23) sees its season come to an end, while Auburn (35-21) advances to play No. 1-ranked Arizona Saturday at 6 p.m. (EDT) on ESPN2.

With 39 wins, the 2006 Buckeyes end the season tied for the fifth-most wins in a season in Ohio State history. Four senior Buckeyes played their final game for the Scarlet and Gray, including Billie Carder (Celina, Ohio/Celina), Nicole Lancaster (Magnolia, Ohio/Sandy Valley), Chelsea Baker (Gahanna, Ohio/DeSales) and Stacy Hibma (Buena Park, Calif./Valley Christian).

"In this business, all losses are tough, but the last loss is the toughest," Linda Kalafatis, Ohio State head coach, said. "We just said goodbye to four seniors. I'm just so proud of this team and how hard they played all weekend and all season. My hat is off to Auburn. They came up with the big hits tonight when they needed them. Our pitchers and defense played as hard as they could. We'll continue to use this as a building block, but we can't thank our seniors enough for their time."

After getting shut out by Ohio State, 1-0, in 10 innings Thursday, Auburn came back to win twice Friday, including a 14-0 win over Marist in the first elimination game. Auburn starter Beth DiPietro (16-7) struck out five and scattered five hits. OSU junior Jamee Juarez (La Puente, Calif./Wilson) ends her season at 17-11.

The Buckeyes got their leadoff batter into scoring position in each of the first three innings but did not score. In the first inning, Nycole Koyano (Walnut, Calif./Walnut) was left at second after an infield single and in the second junior Christina Douglas (Mesa, Ariz./Dobson) was stranded after a walk. In the third, Koyano delivered a one-out single to center but was thrown out stealing, thus negating a single by junior Megan Schwab (Glendale, Ariz./Sunrise Mountain) that came later in the inning.

Auburn struck first in the top of the fourth inning when Kristina McCain hit her sixth homer of the season, a solo shot into the bleachers in left-centerfield. DiPietro would make it stand through the sixth, retiring OSU in order in the fourth and fifth innings before allowing a one-out double by Schwab in the bottom of the sixth. She was left at second, however, and Ohio State would not get another runner into scoring position.

Juarez pitched into the fifth inning, striking out four and walking one. The first two Auburn batters in the fifth reached base, prompting Kalafatis to bring in freshman reliever Courtney Pruner (Akron, Ohio/Ellet), who got the first out before surrendering a three-run homer to centerfield by Tatiana Fernandez, her eighth of the year. An Auburn single and a double later, Pruner was replaced by freshman Kim Reeder (Salinas, Calif./Notre Dame H.S.), who got the last two outs of the inning and would close out the game in the circle for Ohio State.

Auburn did not threaten in the top of the seventh thanks to a diving catch in centerfield by Lancaster and another stop and throw at short by Carder on a hard-hit Tiger grounder.


### GO BUCKS! ###​
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Mad props for what the ladies accomplished this year. Congrats on a great season.
 
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FWIW....

Arizona just knocked off Auburn 4-2, to win the Regional and advance to the Super Regional.

Auburn had two on and one out in the bottom of the seventh. The next batter struck out and then a grounder to Short to end the game.

Arizona is a machine. They're gonna be hard to beat this year.
 
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Oklahoma isn't bad!

Oklahoma isn't a bad team! OU's been to the WCWS for quite a few years in a row. Youngstown State and Kent State weren't exactly world beaters, but as the defending NC it's nice to get a draw like that.

We could need a little magic this weekend. We're heading to Knoxville for a super-regional against a very tough Tennessee team. It's going to be hard to come by runs with Ritter vs. Abbott.
 
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