Softball Beats No. 15 Ohio State, 2-1 in Eight

Wednesday, March 25

Raleigh, N.C.

4:00 PM

NC State

15-11

Ohio State

23-5

Ohio State

NC State

3/25/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

RALEIGH, N.C.  It took some timely hitting and patience at the plate, but NC State topped No. 15 Ohio State 2-1 in eight innings in the first game of a twin bill at the Curtis & Jacqueline Dail Softball Stadium on Wednesday, March 25. The win moves the Pack to 15-10, while the Buckeyes dip to 22-5.

State now has two wins over top-15 squads this season.

Alyssa Ishibashi went 2-for-3 at the plate for State, while Kristine Bechtholdt hit her fifth long ball on the year. Lindsay Campana (7-5) allowed just one run and three hits while striking out nine throughout her complete game performance. Lindsay Bodeker (8-2) took the loss.

The Buckeyes took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the third on a Sam Marder solo shot off of the flagpole in right. State threatened to tie the score in the bottom half of the inning as Ishibashi nailed a two-out double off of the wall in left, but Bodeker was able to reel in a hot shot back to the circle from Allison Presnell for the third out.

Ohio State put its leadoff runner on in the top of the sixth, but Campana induced two groundouts and struck out Rebecca Schultz with a runner on third. The Pack did the same thing in the bottom half of the inning as Ishibashi walked and Katie Mansilla ran in her place, but she was left stranded on second.

State was two outs away from picking up a loss when Bechtholdt came up in the bottom of the seventh and clocked a solo shot to right-center, knotting the score at 1-all and extending the game into extra innings.

Ishibashi and Presnell got things started in the bottom of the eighth with back-to-back singles, and Ohio State reacted by lifting Bodeker in favor of Kim Reeder. Reeder’s very first pitch was wild and Bridget Desbois was walked intentionally to juice the bases with no outs. A pitch then hit Claudia Cooper, scoring Ishibashi to hand the Pack the game.

NC State and Ohio State will begin game two shortly.