Softball
Buckeyes Split with Hawkeyes
By Kevin Schlosser

The Ohio State softball team opened the weekend with a tough two-game series against Iowa. With a 5-4 come from behind win on Friday night, the Buckeyes opened their Big Ten schedule with a bang and won their twenty-fifth regular-season home game in a row. In a pitchers dual on Saturday afternoon, Ohio State could not find a way to score and lost a 1-0 two-hit shutout.

“They got some hits at the right time and that is Iowa; they have a way of doing that. I thought those were two pretty good pitches too," said OSU Head Coach Linda Kalafatis.

"Iowa executes very, very well and we just didn’t put anything together offensively.”

OSU freshman DeDe Hillman had the first hit for either team to leadoff the fourth. Iowa walked sophomore Sam Marder for the second time in the game with no outs. Sophomore Tory Haddad followed with a sacrifice bunt to advance both runners to second and third base. They got no further as freshman Karisa Medrano hit a grounder to third led to disaster. Hillman was tagged out in a run down between third and home and Marder was caught trying to return to second base.

“We took a little bit of a gamble and tried to do what we call 'suicide slap,'" said Kalafatis.

"We put our runner in motion and wanted to make contact down. When our runners know that they are going to be put out at the plate they are suppose to stop and get in a run down like DeDe did. What she didn’t know was that their third baseman bobbled it for a second,” commented Kalafatis.

“DeDe did the right thing and our other runner should have gone on to the other base and didn’t. She camped out and we learned a tough lesson,” continued Kalafatis. “We work on that in practice and we did not execute there base running-wise. It definitely it took another opportunity away from us.”

The Buckeyes needed fifteen base runners to score five runs on Friday night, on Saturday they only had five base runners and were unable to generate or manufacture a run even when they tried.

Sophomore Lindsay Bodeker carried a no hitter into the fifth before Iowa got things going with a lead off double and sacrifice to second. With one out, the Hawkeyes hit a single up the middle to drive in the first run of the game. As the runner tried to stretch a single into a double, Bodeker cut off the relay throw from centerfield and was injured trying to make a play. As she pivoted to make the throw to second, she injured her knee while making the throw.

“Bodeker started out really well and then caught a little bit of a lull. This was her first Big Ten start so I am sure there was a lot of energy there. On the run and the two hits that scored they were still two really good pitches,” asserted Kalafatis. “She started to fall a little bit behind in the count; but we will take Bo any day; I think she threw well enough for us to win for sure.”

Ohio State junior Kim Reeder relieved Bodeker and closed out the game with a scoreless effort. With a short appearance, Reeder will be counted on to come back and pitch well on Sunday. The Buckeyes did get the first hit of the game, but it was the Hawkeyes who got the first run and that was all that ended up mattering at the end of the game.

“I thought our team played hard," said Kalafatis.

"We played really well defensively; we made some big plays. If there was one thing we were disappointed about; it was that they were able to throw us the same way and we weren’t able to make the adjustments. Part of our game is having our lefties getting on and creating some havoc. We kind of put it right at the third baseman every time. Offensively we just did not make adjustments or do enough.”

With the split in the season series, Ohio State moves to 22-7 while Iowa leaves at 21-11 overall. Both teams are 1-1 in the Big Ten. OSU hosts Illinois for a doubleheader at noon on Sunday.

Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score

Catcher Sam Marder:

Leading the team in home runs and RBI, sophomore catcher Sam Marder was walked three times in both games against Iowa. On Friday night she was walked her first three at bats before hitting a game-tying solo home run in the seventh. In the Saturday rematch Marder didn’t get to take the bat off her shoulder as the Hawkeyes were not going let her beat them again and she received her fifth intentional walk of the series. Marder is tied for the national lead with forty-one RBI.

Pitcher Lindsay Bodeker:

“The injury appears to be rather serious. We won’t know until Monday and she will have some tests done at that point. She injured that knee earlier in the year and this appears not related to that,” stated Kalafatis after the game. “We will prepare to play without her tomorrow for sure and wait for the results.”

25-0 and There You Go:

OSU won twenty-five consecutive regular seasons games in a row at home over the last three seasons. The Buckeyes last lost at home on April 22, 2006 when they lost both ends of a doubleheader against Michigan.

“When you are a Buckeye you love playing in front of your fans. We have a lot of pride here. No matter where we play, we want to come ready to play,” said Kalafatis. “There is no doubt after you travel as much as we do in our sport in the Big Ten; when you get the chance to play at home you want to make the most of it.”

Ohio State vs. Illinois: Double Header Notes & Quotes:

The Buckeyes continue their home stand with a Sunday afternoon doubleheader with the Fighting Illini. The first game is scheduled to begin at noon. Illinois enters the game with a 16-16 record; leading the Big Ten in doubles, home runs, and slugging percentage.

OSU owns a 13-8 record overall record in the series and is 10-4 at home. Ohio State has won the last four meetings between the two teams. Both games will air tape-delayed on the Big Ten Network at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday night.

“Against Illinois we have to keep the ball in the park. That is their big thing; they go for the big hit. They do mix in a good amount of speed so we will have to make good pitches and make them earn everything they get,” stated head coach Linda Kalafatis. “We need Megan Miller to step up and throw really well and need Reeder to be her same steady self. Obviously, we need to get some more runs on the board.”

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