University of Minnesota Athletics
SB: Ohio State Sweeps Series against Minnesota
4/3/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
- First Game
- Second Game
Ohio State (18-10, 2-2) showed off the Big Ten’s best offense in a two-game sweep of the Golden Gopher softball team (16-16, 1-3) on Sunday afternoon at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium. The Buckeyes claimed the opener in six innings with a 13-1 win and then earned a 5-1 victory in the nightcap.
In the first game, the Buckeyes pounded out 14 hits, highlighted by Christina Douglas’ 4- for-4 performance with four RBI and two runs scored. The Buckeyes took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on Jamee Juarez’s sacrifice fly.
Minnesota answered back in the bottom of the first inning. Stephanie Sward led off with an infield single and promptly stole second base. After reaching third on a ground ball, she scored on an error by Ohio State shortstop Jennifer Johnson.
With the game knotted at one, Ohio State blew the game open in the third inning with three runs. The Buckeyes tacked on three more in the fourth inning and then closed out the scoring with six in the fifth inning. Ohio State was helped out by a pair of solo home runs from Ashley Cutcliff and Liz Caputo. The Golden Gophers also helped the Buckeye cause with five errors.
Juarez earned the win for Ohio State as she allowed an unearned run on four hits. She struck out two and walked one in five innings.
In the second game, the Golden Gophers broke a scoreless tie in the top of the fourth inning. After Megan Higginbotham led off with a walk, Valerie Alston delivered a one out double to give Minnesota a 1-0 lead.
The lead didn’t last long as Ohio State responded with three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. With runners on second and third, Caputo singled home the tying run. Juarez then came around to score on a double steal. Billie Jo Carder rounded out the scoring with a one out RBI double.
Leading 3-1, Ohio State extended the lead to four in the bottom of the fifth inning. After Meghan Schwab singled, Douglas launched a two-run home run over the left field wall.
Juarez earned her second complete game victory of the day after allowing just one run on six hits.
Minnesota returns to the field on Wednesday when it hosts Wisconsin-Green Bay at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium. The doubleheader begins at 4 p.m.
