Midwest College news

Ohio State Concludes Cathedral City Classic With Two Losses Sunday
Buckeyes battled back vs. No. 2 UCLA, but fell, 12-5, in game two

COLUMBUS, Ohio – On the final day of competition at the 2011 Cathedral City Classic, the Ohio State softball team fell, 10-0 (five innings), against No. 18 Nebraska and, 12-5, against No. 2 UCLA Sunday at the Big League Dreams Sports Park in Cathedral City, Calif. The Buckeyes (4-11, 0-0 Big Ten) conclude the tournament with a 0-5 record.

In game one, extra chances for the Huskers and OSU defensive errors were a major factor in the ball game at replica Fenway Park. Nebraska scored three runs in each of the first three innings to break the game open, 9-0. The Ohio State bats were limited as well as Nebraska claimed a one-hit performance with the combination of starter Ashley Hageman and reliever Tatum Edwards.

Making her first career start was freshman pitcher Audrey Plant. Nebraska began the rally after lead-off hitter Nikki Haget reached base safely after an error at second base. Following a sacrifice bunt by Julie Brechtel, Taylor Edwards knocked a double to right center, scoring Haget to make it 1-0. The following batter, Brooke Thomason sent a pitch over the right center field fence to extend the lead to three runs for the Huskers.

Hageman was finding her groove early, striking out three OSU batters in the first two innings. She went three innings, allowing no hits on one walk with four strikeouts to pick up her tenth win of the season.

In the bottom of the second, Nebraska continued its momentum with three additional runs – all unearned. Tatums Edwards reached on an error to third base followed by Megan Southworth, who sent a pitch up the middle for a base hit. Freshman pitcher Kasie Kelly then replaced Plant following the NU single. After a sacrifice bunt, Brechtel continued her hot bat with a two-out two-RBI double that just made it out to short center field to make it 6-0.

In the top of the third, the Scarlet and Gray had their first scoring opportunity with freshman Melissa Rennie on second and junior Vanessa Spears on first. However, Hageman was able to get the force out at third base after Hillman hit into a fielder’s choice on a close play at the bag for the second out. The NU pitcher then struck out Alicia Herron to end the inning.

The next NU at bat, the Huskers made it 9-0 after a Buckeye error at second base began the rally for the Big 12 team. Megan Southworth then hit a double to left center with one out to make it 8-0, while Brechtel picked up her third RBI with a single, scoring Haget

In the fourth, Nebraska made a pitching change as designated player Tatum Edwards headed to the circle. After a hit by pitch that went off the helmet of freshman Evelyn Carrillo, Edwards sent down the next three OSU batters to keep Buckeyes hitless through four.

The play of the day came in the bottom of the fourth inning with senior Brittany Goodchild drawing an ovation from both Husker and Buckeye fans. At the plate, Edwards connected on a pitch and sent it down the right field line but Goodchild was there to rob an extra base hit. Stepping backwards, the native of West Hills, Calif., made a stretching catch over her left shoulder, while crashing through the fence to save two more NU runs. The Huskers picked up their final run of the day after an RBI single by Southworth, which scored Heidi Foland from second base.

In the fifth, Spears broke up the no-hit performance, but Nebraska eventually claimed the five-inning win, 10-0. Plant receives the loss and falls to 0-2 in 2011, going one inning with three hits, two earned runs and struck out one NU batter.

In game two vs. the defending NCAA champions, a great crowd was on display as fans scattered down each base line to watch the two teams play at replica Wrigley field. After being down 4-0 early, the Buckeyes fought back to cut it 7-5, but the Bruins pulled away late in the game to pick up their 13th victory of the year.

The Buckeyes threatened first with runners on first and second to begin the game after back-to-back hits by Herron and Carrillo. However, UCLA pitcher Jessica Hall struck out two-consecutive OSU batters to get out of the early jam.

The Bruins got on the board first with four runs in the opening inning. UCLA started the rally after a ground-rule double by DiSalvatore off Buckeye starter Karisa Medrano. Spears crashed through the wall in center field, while trying to make a great play – like she did two days earlier vs. the Aggies – but could not track it down for the out. The Scarlet and Gray then called in Kelly to replace Medrano in the circle.

With runners on second and third, Kelly was called for two consecutive-illegal pitches by the umpire, making it 3-0 in favor of the Bruins. Kellie Fox then stole second base and advanced to third after a throwing error by Rennie. The next batter, Kelly was called for her third illegal pitch against Alyssa Tiumalu to make it 4-0 as Fox tallied the run.

The Buckeyes then went to its third pitcher of the inning with Plant getting called into the circle. The Buckeye freshman got OSU out of the inning with a strikeout and ground out to first baseman Carrillo. In total, the Buckeye pitchers were called for six illegal pitches in the opening frame.

For the second straight inning, Ohio State had runners on first and second after a walk to Melaina Saalfeld and a base hit by Megan Coletta in the second, but this time, the Buckeyes plated runs.

Saalfeld scored the first Buckeye run following a single by Spears and a throwing error by UCLA third baseman Talee Snow. With Coletta now on third and Spears on first, the Buckeyes ran a double steal to perfection as the Buckeye third baseman made it 4-2. Spears advanced to third on the play after an error by Fox, the UCLA shortstop. However, Hall was able to work herself out of the inning with a strikeout and groundout to end the OSU rally.

In the bottom of the inning, the Bruins extended their lead to five runs with four hits, including three straight against Plant. Fox started the scoring with an RBI single, while Tiumalu sent a rocket up the middle, plating two UCLA Bruins to make it 7-2 after two.

In the third, Ohio State had nothing to show, going one-two-three vs. Hall. Goodchild had solid contact with two outs, but hit a liner right at the UCLA third baseman. The Buckeye defense held strong in the bottom of the inning. With runners on the corners, Rennie fired a perfect toss down to Coletta to tag out pinch runner Leroux for the first out to end the UCLA momentum.

In the fourth, the Buckeyes were able to put the ball in play, while taking advantage of the defensive erros by the Bruins to score three runs. With the bases loaded, Herron singled to the shortstop, scoring Saalfeld for the RBI, while Coletta plated another run from second base following an error by the Bruins’ shortstop to make it 7-4. Hall’s next pitch sailed over the glove of UCLA catcher Tiumala as Hillman came speeding in with a head-first dive to cut the Bruins lead to 7-5.

But the Bruins answered the OSU rally with three runs of their own in the bottom of the inning when Snow posted an RBI single and B.B. Bates sent a two-out RBI double to left field against Plant to make it 10-5.

In the sixth, Ohio State went down in order against Hall and the Bruins threatened to end the game by the run-rule, scoring two additional runs to make it 12-5 after an RBI by DiSalvatore and an RBI groundout by Andrea Harrison. The Buckeyes had runners on first and second in the final inning, but could not produce any runs on the board as Hall claimed the complete game performance.

Hall picks up the win and improves to 7-3 on the season, giving up eight hits with two earned runs, while striking out seven OSU batters. Medrano receives the loss (1-6) after giving up three earned runs on one hit and two walks.


WTEN: Buckeyes Fall to No. 22 Sooners, 4-0




COLUMBUS, Ohio - The No. 43 Ohio State women's tennis team (6-4, 1-0 Big Ten) fell to No. 22 Oklahoma (7-2), 4-0, Sunday afternoon in the squad's final match at the Blue Gray National Tennis Classic in Montgomery, Ala.The Sooners earned the early advantage after taking the doubles point with wins on courts one and two. The Oklahoma duo of Ana-Maria Constantinescu and Alice Radu, ranked 56th nationally, downed Ohio State's Paloma Escobedo and Cami Hubbs, 8-3, on court one.At the second spot, Oklahoma's Whitney Ritchie and Maria Kalashnikova took their match against Kelsey Haviland and Gabby Steele, 8-0.Oklahoma wasted no time in singles, winning three matches in straight sets to clinch the team victory. With Escobedo out of the singles lineup because of injury, the Buckeyes were forced to move everyone in their lineup one spot higher.Ohio State's Kara Cecil dropped her match on court two, 6-2, 6-1, to Radu, while classmate Fidan Manashirova's 14-match win streak was ended on court four to Marie-Pier Huet, 6-0, 6-1.Constantinescu clinched the victory for the Sooners with a 6-1, 6-2 victory on court one against Haviland.Because of time restraints, the remaining three singles matches were suspended. Steele had taken the first set of her match against Ritchie on court three, 6-4, while Hubbs was a single game from taking her match against Kalashnikova with the score at 6-3, 5-3.Freshman Noelle Malley was battling in the second set against Oklahoma's Mia Lancaster after dropping the first set, 6-3.




Offense Flutters For UIS


BENTONVILLE, Ark. – Senior Brittany Morgan led the Illinois Springfield softball team with two hits and an RBI Sunday afternoon. However, the Prairie Stars fell to Missouri Western 9-0 in five innings and Lincoln 4-2.

Game one
Against the Griffons, UIS (2-4) had its best chance to score in the first inning with bases loaded and two down. Junior Danielle Abbott came to the dish, but flew out to right field, which was the first of eight straight Prairie Star batters retired before she picked-up a hit in the fourth.

In Mo. West’s half of the fifth, two Prairie Star errors led to seven unearned runs, as Toni Dance and Taylor Anding collected seven RBIs on two home runs all with two outs.

Game two

UIS jumped on top 2-0 in the first inning on RBIs by senior Jaylyn Jones and junior Rachel Wood. However, defensive miscues haunted the Prairie Stars, as three of the Blue Tigers four runs were unearned.

In the sixth, UIS had a prime opportunity to tie the game with Abbott in the box and two-on and two-out. Abbott however, on strike one just missed the chalk on a foul ball, which would have scored both runners and on the next pitch she struck out to end the threat.

The next action for UIS will be Friday, March 5, at the Southern/Pitt State Challenge in Joplin, Mo.

Bracket Announced
Michigan State earns top seed for first time in tournament history; Ohio State earns five seed

PARK RIDGE, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference announced on Sunday the bracket for the 2011 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament, with conference champion Michigan State earning the No. 1 seed. The tournament is set for March 3-6 at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

After finishing the season with a 13-3 mark in Big Ten play, Michigan State receives the tournament’s top seed for the first time in school history. The Spartans put together their eighth-straight 20-win season, closing out the regular season with a 25-4 overall record. They will play their first tournament game in Friday’s second session at 6 p.m. ET after earning a first-round bye for the ninth consecutive year.

Penn State enters the tournament as the No. 2 seed after compiling an 11-5 conference record and a 22-8 mark overall this season. The Lady Lions boast their highest seed since 2004, when they held the tournament’s top spot. They will face their first competition in Friday’s first game at 11:30 a.m. ET.

Iowa, Michigan, Ohio State and Wisconsin all put together 10-6 conference records, creating a four-way tie for third place. By virtue of their 5-0 combined record against the three other teams, the Wolverines earned the tournament’s No. 3 seed. The Hawkeyes enter the tournament as the No. 4 seed. The Buckeyes receive the No. 5 seed and the Badgers earn the No. 6 seed.

Michigan earns its highest seed in the Big Ten Tournament since 2000, when it advanced to the semifinals as the No. 2 seed. The third-seeded Wolverines hold a 17-11 overall record entering the event and will play in Friday’s second game.

Fourth-seeded Iowa will take on fifth-seeded Ohio State in Friday’s fourth and final game. The Hawkeyes rounded out the campaign with a 22-7 overall record and head to Indianapolis having won seven of their last nine contests. This year’s tournament marks the fourth-straight season Iowa has received a top-four seed. The Buckeyes look to win their third-straight tournament title after putting together a 19-9 overall mark this season. Ohio State earns a bye into Friday’s quarterfinals for the eighth-straight season.

Wisconsin opens the tournament as the No. 6 seed after finishing 15-13 overall this season. The Badgers will take on No. 11 Illinois (7-22, 2-14 Big Ten) in Thursday’s second tilt, scheduled for 25 minutes after the first game’s completion.

Purdue receives the No. 7 seed after closing out the regular season with a 9-7 record in conference play and a 19-10 overall record. The Boilermakers will square off with intrastate rival and No. 10 seed Indiana (9-19, 3-13) in the first game of the tournament on Thursday at 2 p.m. ET.

Northwestern enters the tournament as the No. 8 seed and is slated to take on Minnesota, which holds the No. 9 spot, in Thursday’s third contest. The Wildcats finished the regular season at 6-10 in Big Ten games and 17-12 overall. The Golden Gophers own a 4-12 Big Ten record and a 12-17 overall mark.

Six conference teams have taken home the Big Ten Tournament title since the event’s inception in 1995, led by Purdue’s record seven titles (1998-99-00-03-04-07-08). Ohio State owns three tournament titles (2006-09-10), including two straight entering this year’s event. Iowa (1997-01) and Penn State (1995-96) have each won the title twice, while Indiana earned the crown in 2002 and Michigan State took home the title in 2005. Indiana tied Purdue's 1998 squad as the lowest seed to win the event when the No. 5 Hoosiers defeated Penn State in 2002 for their lone title.


Purdue Men’s Track & Field Place 10th At Big Ten Indoor Championships

Sophomore Geoff Davis posted the second-best high jump mark in school history.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Purdue men’s track and field team turned in a 10th-place effort with 26 team points at the 2011 Big Ten Indoor Championships, hosted by the University of Illinois at the U of I Armory over the weekend. Senior Shane Crawford and sophomore Geoff Davis highlighted the championships for the Boilermakers with matching second-place finishes in their respective events.

Davis had Purdue’s most impressive performance of the championships, clearing a new personal record en route to the silver medal in the high jump. Davis and Indiana junior Derek Drouin put on an amazing performance going bar-for-bar through five heights, all on their first attempts. Both came in at 2.08 meters (6-09.75), easily jumping over their first two bars, and then Drouin cleared 2.14 meters (7-00.25) on his first try, allowing Davis to pass and move on to 2.17 meters (7-01.50). Both competitors notched 2.17 and 2.20 meters (7-02.50) on their first attempts, and then Drouin put the pressure on Davis as he soared over 2.23 meters (7-03.75) on his first try, forcing Davis to go after a career-best height. The Boilermaker sophomore missed on his first two attempts, but kept the competition going with his third attempt, clearing the bar and posting the second-best indoor mark in Purdue’s history. Drouin closed out a perfect day, tying his own Big Ten Championship record and locking up the gold medal with a 2.26-meter (7-05.00) clearance, while Davis settled for the silver, but not before ensuring himself a trip to the 2011 NCAA Championships, scheduled for March 11 at Texas A&M University.

Crawford came up just shy of back-to-back Big Ten 60-meter dash titles, taking second place to Indiana’s Kind Butler on Sunday. Crawford’s time of 6.71 seconds was just 0.01 off of Kind, while Illinois’ standout Andrew Riley was third in 6.72 seconds. Fellow senior Jacob Palmer came up with the Boilermakers’ other three points on Sunday, taking sixth in the 800-meter run in 1:51.96.

Minnesota captured the team title for the third-straight season, scoring 117.33 points, while Indiana finished second with 104.5. Wisconsin, Iowa and Ohio State rounded out the top five with 96, 88 and 86 points, respectively.

A select group of Boilermakers may continue their season next weekend at one of several last chance meets, looking to qualify for the 2011 NCAA Indoor Championships. More information on the last chance meets and national qualification will be available later this week at PurdueSports.com

WOODSTOCK, Ga. – The Boilermakers wrapped up a 4-0 weekend at the Phyllis Rafter Memorial Classic with a 7-4 win over the Mercer Bears Sunday afternoon. The Boilermakers were the only team at the event with an unblemished mark.

“We accomplished what we set out to do this weekend, which was to come out 4-0,” head coach Kim Maher said. “We had lots of good hits, pitching and defensive play. We still need work on stringing hits together and hit in timely situations.”

The Boilermakers scored seven runs on nine hits and two errors, while allowing four runs on eight hits and an error. Freshmen Danielle Fletcher and Tori Chiodo led the Purdue bats with two hits apiece. Fletcher and senior Shelby Krammer each posted a home run in the contest.

Senior Suzie Rzegocki (8-2) struck out five in the complete-game victory, while Jenni Holtz (7-2) was charged with the loss for Mercer.

The Boilermakers utilized all aspect of their offense to score three runs in the second. A single, a double, a triple, a walk and a sacrifice fly contributed to the scores. Freshman Kim McMillan led off with a doubled to left center and went to third on a ground out, before coming home on a sacrifice fly to left by sophomore Erika Petruzzi. Fletcher tripled up the right field line and sophomore Ashley Courtney walked to give Purdue runners at the corners for Chiodo, who delivered with a single through the left side to bring Fletcher home. Courtney stole third and the catcher’s throw sailed into left field allowing her to score. Chiodo swiped second on the backend of the double steal, but was tagged out returning second after Courtney’s score.

Purdue tacked on three runs in the third on Krammer’s blast over the scoreboard in right center. The long ball brought in freshman Lindsey Rains and McMillan, who reached on a single and a fielder’s choice. Freshman Andie Varsho also had a single and a steal in the inning, but was put out as the lead runner in the fielder’s choice.

Fletcher made it 7-0 with a solo shot to lead off the fourth. Courtney followed with a single up the middle. Pinch hitter Katie Hackney reached on a one-out fielding error by the second baseman, pushing pinch runner MaryBeth Pavlick to second, but the pair was left stranded by a strikeout and caught foul.

After putting a runner on to no avail in four of the first five innings, Mercer finally broke through with a two-run shot off the scoreboard by Sara Stukes. The one-out hit made good on a leadoff single.

Chiodo posted a one-out single in the sixth, but Purdue could not add to its lead.

In the seventh, the Bears cut the margin to three on a two-run home run by Krista Kennedy. The blast scored Allison Jones, who had reached on a one-out fielding error. Mercer got another base runner with a single to left, but a fielder’s choice and a ground out secured the Purdue win.

The Boilermakers (9-3) return to action on Saturday when they take on Wright State at the SIU Coach B Classic in Carbondale, Ill.


HEARTLAND COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE MEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIPS HOSTED BY MANCHESTER COLLEGE

#1 Manchester 79 - #2 Hanover 69 (box attached as hcac5.htm)

SPARTANS ADVANCE TO NCAA TOURNAMENT FOLLOWING 79-69 WIN OVER HANOVER IN HCAC TOURNAMENT, SPINDLER NAMED TOURNAMENT MVP
Manchester College returns to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1999, as the Spartans posted a 79-69 win over Hanover in the championship game to earn the HCAC's automatic qualifier to the NCAA post-season tournament.

Manchester jumped out to a 19-10 lead with nine minutes left in the first half, but Hanover went on a 13-0 run over the next seven minutes to take a 23-19 lead, and held a 26-23 lead at the half. Manchester used an 18-5 run in the second half to take a six point, 43-35 with 14 minutes to go. MC settled for its biggest lead of the game 64-47 with 5:34 remaining and held on to pick up the 79-69 win.

Mitch Schaefer led MC with 19 points, hitting 4-8 three-pointers and 7-7 free throws. Jason Spindler added 18 points on 8-11 shooting and had four rebounds, two blocked shots and a steal. Tyler Henn and Nathan Ferch each scored 11 points, while Jordan Moss added nine points and eight assists.

MC's Jason Spindler was voted Tournament MVP, and was joined by teammate Mitch Schaefer on the All-Tournament team. Mitchell Meyers and Mike Case of Hanover were named to the All-Tournament team, along with Take Cox of Transylvania and Andrew Jones of Anderson.

Manchester improves to 21-6 on the year, and will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Visit the NCAA website at www.ncaa.com on Monday, Feb. 28 starting at noon for tournament pairings.


WTRK: Big Ten Champions! Buckeyes Capture First Conference Title in Program History
Led by Christina Manning, Ohio State dominates the competition for historic win

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Ohio State women’s track and field team put on a show for the ages in winning the first Big Ten title in program history Sunday afternoon at the 2011 Big Ten Indoor Championships inside Purdue University’s Lambert Field House.

With a total of 122.50 points, the Buckeyes crushed their conference rivals on the second day of the competiton, compiling 97.5 points Sunday to create a 36.50 point gap between themselves and three-time defending champion Penn State, the second-place finisher with 86 points. Third-place went to Minnesota (73).

The Scarlet and Gray captured a total of two individual titles, five silver medals and 16 Top 5 finishes on the weekend. Leading the charge was All-American Christina Manning, who stated her case for Athlete of the Championships with a conference title in the 60m hurdles and second-place finishes in both the 60m and 200m dashes.

Manning and senior Letecia Wright pulled of a historic 1-2 sweep in the 60m hurdles, shattering their previous personal best times in the process. Manning edged her Maryland counterpart with a blistering 8.01 sprint, the fastest time in the nation this season, an NCAA automatic qualifier, and the second-fastest time in school history. Wright just missed out on the first individual conference crown of her career, crossing the finish line in 8.03, an NCAA automatic qualifier, the third-best time in school history and the second fastest time nationally. Sophomore Christienne Linton finished eighth in 8.64, bringing the Buckeyes’ total points in the event to 19.

Ohio State’s sprinters pulled off a stunning upset in the 60m dash, with Madison McNary and Manning finishing 1-2 ahead of 12-time Big Ten champion and All-American Shavon Greaves of Penn State. McNary won the first conference title of her Buckeye career, shattering the Ohio State school record with a time of 7.27, the 12th-fastest time in Division I. Manning finished just behind her fellow junior in 7.29, the second-best time in school history and 13th-best performance in the nation. Greaves was third in 7.37, followed by Chimerem Okoroji of Minnesota (7.43) and OSU freshman Chesna Sykes (7.49), who tied her personal record. Linton finished seventh in 7.50 – tied for her PR – as the Buckeyes compiled a total of 24 points in the event.

Manning finished her record-setting day in style, taking home runner-up honors in the 200m dash with a season-best time of 23.78, the third-best time in school history. McNary was third in 24.05 as Greaves won the title with an NCAA automatic qualifying and Lambert Field House record time of 23.67. Wright also scored for the Buckeyes, finishing sixth in 24.49. In all, Ohio State added 17 points to their team score.

The Buckeye 4x400m relay team, anchored by Shaniqua McGinnis, would end the meet on a high note, earning six points with a third-place time of 3:40.59, the fifth-best in school history. Penn State took first place in 3:37.80, followed by Iowa (3:40.38). Latoya Sanderson, Jackie Dim and Nyjah Cousar joined McGinnis as bronze medalists.

Here are more highlights from day two at the Big Ten indoor championships for OSU:

Triple Jump
A PR jump of 12.58m (41-3.25) helped Kelcey McKinney to second place and eight points. Ashley Stacey of Michigan State captured the title with a 12.69m (41-7.75) jump on her final attempt.

Weight Throw
Ohio State placed two athletes in the Top 5, led by bronze medalist Maggie Mullen, who set a PR at 20.27m (66-6). Alexis Thomas finished fifth for the Buckeyes with a PR of 19.16m (62-10.50), bringing the team’s point total in the event to 10. Purdue’s Dani Bunch finished in first-place with a 20.54m (67-4.25) heave.

400m Run
McGinnis finished fourth in the 400m finals with a time of 55.54. Dim was seventh with a season-best time of 56.13, bringing the Buckeye point total in the event to 7. Ashley Kelley of Illinois won the gold medal in 54.54.

High Jump
Ashley Galbraith followed up her third-place effort in the heptathlon Saturday with a fifth-place finish in the high jump – the junior cleared the bar at 1.73m (5-8), contributing 3.5 points toward OSU’s team score. The conference title went to Wisconsin’s Monika Jakutyte at 1.82m (5-11.50).

800m Run
Sophomore Tori Brink claimed 3 points for her team with a sixth-place finish in 2:11.84, the sixth-best time in school history. Michigan’s Jillian Smith won the event with a Field House record time of 2:06.96.

5000m Run
Freshman Meredith Wagner just missed the podium for the second day in a row, setting a PR with a ninth-place time of 16:46.54, the fourth-best indoor time in school history. Emily MacLeod completed the Big Ten long distance sweep, winning the conference title in 16:25.10.

Final Team Rankings
1) Ohio State – 122.50 points
2) Penn State – 86
3) Minnesota – 73
4) Michigan – 68.50
5) Indiana – 67
6) Michigan State – 65
7) Illinois – 61
8) Purdue – 56
8) Iowa – 56
10) Wisconsin – 47



NIU Softball Defeats St. John’s
Huskies finish 3-2 in second weekend of play

LUBBOCK, Texas – The Northern Illinois University softball team posted a 10-7 victory over St. John’s in the final day of the Jeannine McHaney Memorial Classic hosted by Texas Tech.

The Huskies (3-7) took an early 4-0 lead with a run in the top of the first and three in the top of the second. Freshman Nicole Germillion (Missouri City, Texas/Elkins) stole home to score the first run of the game. Back-to-back doubles by Alexandra Wulbecker (Hoffman Estates, Ill./Hoffman Estates) and Gianna Cipollone (Newport Beach, Calif./San Clemente) gave the Huskies a 2-0 lead. The big blow of the inning came on a two-run homer by Amanda Sheppard (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest).

“The offense never quit,” NIU head coach Lindsay Chouinard said. “We had a really important talk earlier this week about our offense what we need to do. They really stepped up their game at the plate this weekend and that’s why we won. The offense led the way and gave Morgan a lead and she just ran with it.”

Northern Illinois extended its lead to 6-0 with two runs in the fourth inning. However, St. John’s (5-10) cut the lead in half with a three-run sixth.

NIU added some insurance runs in its final at bat. With two on and nobody out, Andrea Colosimo (Orland Park, Ill./Sandburg) delivered an RBI single. Krista Matsui (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield South) followed with a three-run homer, the first home run of her career to give the Huskies a 10-3 lead. That would prove to be the difference in the game as Red Storm would plate four in bottom of the seventh.

“She got a pitch to hit and she was ready for it,” Chouinard said of Matsui’s home run. “We had a home run for Amanda Sheppard, our No. 9 hitter and Krista, our No. 8 hitter. So, up and down the lineup we were able to do it.

Sheppard led the way offensively, going 3-for-4 from the plate with two RBIs and two runs scored, while Matsui was 1-for-1 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Wulbecker went 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

Northern Illinois returns to the diamond Friday, Mar. 4 when the Huskies take on Sacred Heart in the first game of the Colorado State Classic in Fort Collins, Colo. First pitch is set for 10 a.m


Huskie Comeback Falls Short at Texas Tech

White ropes three extra base hits and RBI

LUBBOCK, Texas - In its second straight contest against Texas Tech, the Northern Illinois baseball team could not avoid a similar fate in a 14-8 loss Sunday afternoon at Dan Law Field. But this time, the Huskies did not go down without a fight as they fell short of bouncing back from an early six-run disadvantage with season highs of eight runs and 13 hits.

Yesterday, the Red Raiders (7-1) jumped on the Huskies (0-6) quickly with a six-run first inning with the help of a pair of free passes, leaving too large a deficit to overcome. TTU did the same on Sunday against starter Jeremy Gonzales, who labored through a six-run first inning. Jamodrick McGruder started the game with a triple and scored on a Bo Altobelli sacrifice fly. Then Gonzales could not find the strike zone consistently enough as he walked three of the next four hitters and hit the next batter to give TTU a 3-0 lead. David Paiz’s two-run single broke the frame open and Reid Redman followed with a double to leave the Huskies with a 6-0 hole that they were not able to dig out of.

In the third inning, NIU nearly evened the score with four runs. After missing out on a two-out scoring opportunity in the second, the Huskies broke through with help from a near-costly Red Raiders miscue. Tom Kotis led off with a double and seemed stuck on the bases until Troy White tripled with two outs. White then scored on a balk and a Joe Etcheverry infield single kept the inning alive. Jordan Rishavy followed with a single and Jeff Zimmerman drew a walk. Then the error came -- Alex Beckmann hit a grounder that appeared to be an inning ender. But second baseman McGruder booted it, allowing Rishavy and Etcheverry to score.

Two Texas Tech runs in the fourth and another in the fifth could have sucked the wind out of the Huskies, but they kept clawing. Zimmerman began the sixth with a single and came around to score on a two-out single by Kotis.

After a scoreless frame by Kyle Glancy, who replaced Gonzales on the mound, NIU pulled within two runs once again in the seventh. Jamison Wells singled to kick off the frame and stole third an out later. Another triple from White scored Wells and an RBI groundout by Etcheverry made the score 9-7.

However, that was all the closer NIU would get as the Red Raiders added five insurance runs in the eighth, which were more than enough to withstand a White RBI double for the Huskies in the ninth.

White did the most damage in the Huskies’ near-comeback effort. The senior went 3-for-5 with three RBI and two runs. All three hits went for extra bases -- two triples and a double. Two three-baggers in a game hadn’t been accomplished by a Huskie since Alex Jones did it at Western Michigan on May 14, 2009.

Three other Huskies had multi-hit days. Rishavy went 2-for-4. Zimmerman went 2-for-2 and reached base in all five plate appearances with two walks and a hit-by-pitch. Kotis had a career-best 2-for-3 performance.

Etcheverry kept his hitting streak alive, extending it to nine-games dating back to May 22, 2010. The senior has had at least one hit in all six games in 2011.

With 3.1 innings of relief, Jerad McCrummen (1-0) picked up the win despite giving up two runs on three hits. Gonzales (0-2) took the loss for NIU, allowing nine runs on nine hits and six walks with one strikeout in five innings.

Altobelli led the Red Raiders by going 3-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored.

The Huskies hit the road again next week to face four opponents in four days in Surprise, Ariz. at the Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals Spring Training Facility. The trip begins on Thursday, March 3, with a 5 p.m. (CT) contest against Air Force. NIU will also face No. 9 Arizona State, UC Riverside and Cal State Bakersfield next weekend

WOODSTOCK, Ga. -- A four-run first inning propelled the Georgia State softball team (7-9) to a 5-2 victory over Ball State (6-3) on the final day of the Phyliss Rafter Memorial in Woodstock, Ga. The Panthers finished the tournament at 2-3. All-tournament teams will be announced at a later time.

After Ball State got on the board in the top of the first on Jennifer Gilbert's two-run homer to right field, the Panthers answered in the bottom of the inning with four runs. Freshman Jessica Clifton hit a bunt single, and Whitney Phillips singled up the middle to get the inning going. Senior Lauren Jones bashed her fourth homer of the season and second in as many days to put GSU up, 3-2. Three walks in a row chased Cardinal starting pitcher Audrey Workman from the game without recording an out. After a diving catch by the centerfielder yielded the first out, catcher Maddy Stanton hit a long fly ball off Kim Mazzapica that scored Nowacki from third to give GSU a 4-2 lead heading to the second.

GSU added an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth to push the score to 5-2. Phillips opened the inning with a single and stolen base, and Paige Nowacki drove her in with a single up the middle.

Sophomore pitcher McCall Langford (2-3) turned in her first complete game win of the season, allowing two runs on four hits, while striking out six. Langford has now won two games in a row after beginning the year 0-3.

Jones was the star again for GSU. On the weekend the Stockbridge, Ga., native batted .438, going 7-for-16 with two homers, seven RBI and five runs scored.

The Panthers return to action on Tuesday when they host crosstown rival and No. 22 ranked Georgia Tech in a 5 p.m. game. The contest against the Yellow Jackets will be available via live stats.


WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Freshman Dani Bunch gave the Boilermakers their second Big Ten Championship in as many days, leading the Purdue women’s track and field team to an eighth-place showing with 56 points at the 2011 Big Ten Indoor Championships, hosted by the Boilermakers at Lambert Fieldhouse. Ohio State University captured the team title in impressive fashion, rolling out 122.5 points and winning its first-ever indoor conference title.

Bunch followed junior teammate Leah Eber’s lead from Saturday, taking the Big Ten weight throw title in dramatic fashion with a career-best mark of 20.54 meters (67-04.75). Bunch threw an opening mark of 19.84 meters (65-01.25), good enough to advance to finals with the No. 2 mark after the prelims, and that held as her best after five throws. She was passed for second in the fourth round by Ohio State’s Maggie Mullens, while Beth Rohl of Michigan State held the event lead at 20.33 meters (66-08.50). Stepping into the ring for her sixth and final throw, Bunch unleashed a monster throw, vaulting herself to ninth on the NCAA Division I list and likely earning a bid to the 2011 NCAA Indoor Championships.

Bunch becomes the first Purdue woman to win a Big Ten weight throw title since Toyinda Smith’s back-to-back conference crowns in 1998 and 1999, and it marks the first year for the Boilermaker women with multiple indoor Big Ten Champions since 2002, when Lindsay Zinn won the 3,000-meter run and Ebbie Metzinger topped the pole vault.

Senior captain Stacey Wannemacher followed Bunch in the weight throw, scoring in her second event of the championships with a seventh-place effort. Wannemacher had a top throw of 18.67 meters (61-03.00), which came on her third throw of the day.

Eber backed up yesterday’s Big Ten Championship in the long jump with a personal record and sixth-place finish in the triple jump. Eber had several jumps over her previous career best of 11.85 meters (38-10.50), posting her top mark of the afternoon on her first jump of the finals at 12.43 meters (40-09.50). Senior teammate Emily Breslin added eight more points and came up just shy of a third conference championship, finishing second in the high jump with a mark of 1.79 meters (5-10.50). She appeared to have the gold in hand, clearing her personal best height on the first attempt, but Wisconsin’s Monika Jakutyte cleared the 1.79-meter bar on her third and final attempt and then made the next bar of 1.82 meters (5-11.50) on her second attempt to win the event.

The Purdue 4x400-meter relay team of freshman Ebony Woodard, senior NaTasha Blair, freshman Taylor Morrison and junior Janan Graham game an impressive effort in the first of two heats, crossing the line in 3:45.87 to finish seventh. The Boilermakers’ 56 team points is their second highest over the last nine years behind last year’s 71-point and sixth-place performance.

Ohio State ran away with the team title, dominating the sprint events with multiple scorers in each. The Buckeyes went first and second in the 60-meter dash and 60-meter hurdles as Madison Mcnary won the dash in 7.27 followed by Christina Manning in 7.29, while Manning took the hurdles crown and posted the NCAA’s No. 1 time this season in 8.01, while teammate Letecia Wright notched the second-fastest time in the country at 8.03. Manning, Mcnary and Wright also went second, third and sixth in the 200-meter dash, behind three-time event champion Shavon Greaves of Penn State.

Other impressive individual performances on Sunday came from Michigan State’s Emily MacLeod and Ashley Stacey and Michigan’s Jillian Smith. MacLeod edged out Iowa’s Betsy Flood for the second straight day, backing up yesterday’s 3,000-meter run title with an amazing 5,000-meter run finish and second conference title as she out-leaned Flood by 0.02 seconds in the 5,000, finishing in 16:25.65. Stacey used her final attempt in the triple jump to vault herself from sixth to first, bouncing 12.69 meters (41-07.75) and surpassing the three favorites to win the crown. Smith fractured the Lambert Fieldhouse record on her way to the 800-meter run title, crossing the line in 2:06.92.

Smith’s Wolverine teammate Rebecca Addison captured the mile crown in 4:42.99, while Illinois’ Ashley Kelly won the 400-meter dash in 54.54 and Iowa’s Bethany Praska took the 600-meter run in 1:28.99. Penn State dominated the 4x400-meter relay, smashing the facility record in 3:37.80. The Big Ten Conference awards for Athlete of the Year, Coach of the Year, Athlete of the Championships and Freshman of the Year will be announced on Monday or Tuesday.

Select Boilermakers continue the indoor season next weekend, competing at an undetermined Last Chance meet, attempting to advance to the NCAA Indoor Championships.

FINAL TEAM SCORES
1) Ohio State – 122.5
2) Penn State – 86
3) Minnesota – 73
4) Michigan – 68.5
5) Indiana – 67
6) Michigan State – 65
7) Illinois – 61
8) Iowa – 56
8) Purdue – 56
10) Wisconsin – 47

No. 3 Buckeyes Defeat Louisville, 6-1, to Stay Perfect At Home
Ohio State extends home win streak to 121

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The third-ranked Ohio State men’s tennis team defeated No. 15 Louisville, 6-1, Sunday at the Varsity Indoor Tennis Center in front of 247 fans. The victory extends the Buckeyes’ home win streak to 121-consecutive matches. The Scarlet and Gray improve to 5-1 on the year against nationally-ranked opponents.

Ohio State (14-1, 0-0) moves to 9-1 vs. Louisville (8-5, 0-0) all-time. Head coach Ty Tucker improves his mark to 5-1 against the Cardinals. The Buckeyes are now 6-1 when playing the 15th-ranked team in the country and are 54-2 as the No. 3 ranked team in the ITA standings.

In doubles action, the 10th-ranked team of senior Matt Allare and freshman Peter Kobelt gave the Buckeyes the early advantage, defeating Louisville’s Simon Childs and Alejandro Calligari, 8-5, at No. 2. Allare and Kobelt are now 13-4 on the season. The Ohio State lead wouldn’t last however as the sixth-ranked duo of Chase Buchanan and Blaz Rola couldn’t hold off Austen Childs and Viktor Maksimcuk, falling, 8-4, at No. 1.

Buckeyes Devin McCarthy and Balazs Novak clinched the doubles point, downing Robert Hall and Adam Donaldson, 8-6, in a highly-contested bout at No. 3. The Ohio State tandem moves to 15-5 with the victory.

Singles play was just as competitive with many matches seeing the lead go back and forth. Four matches went to a tiebreaker either in the first or second set.

Novak, a co-captain, cruised to a straight-set 6-1, 6-1 win over Dante Terenzio at No. 6, moving to 17-2 on the season and picking up his 13th-consecutive singles win to put the home team up 2-0. At one point during the match, Novak claimed 10 straight points.

Allare, also a co-captain, gave the Buckeyes a 3-0 cushion, handing Calligari a 6-4, 6-3 defeat at No. 4. Allare was initially down 3-0 in the first set before rallying. He improves his overall record to 19-3, two shy of picking up his 100th career win.

Buchanan, ranked 21st nationally, clinched the 121st-consecutive win for Ohio State with a 6-3, 7-6 triumph against No. 11 Austen Childs at No. 1. Buchanan notched his sixth win vs. a ranked opponent on the season, moving to 16-4 in singles.

In other singles action, McCarthy, a redshirt-sophomore, won his 11th match in a row, downing Louisville’s Andrew Carter 7-6, 6-3. McCarthy’s record now stands at 16-2. Childs defeated freshman Ille Van Engelen in a close contest 3-6, 7-6, 7-10. Rola, the nation’s fifth-ranked player, wrapped up the dual with a 3-6, 7-6, 6-3 win over No. 100 Maksimcuk.

Up next, the Buckeyes will kick-off their Big Ten season at 1:30 p.m. March 4, as they travel to State College, Pa., to take on the 69th-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions.

Tennis Match Results
#3 Ohio State 6, #15 Louisville 1
Feb 27, 2011 at Columbus, Ohio
(VTC)

Singles
1. #21 Chase Buchanan (OSU) def. #11 Austen Childs (UL) 6-3, 7-6
2. #5 Blaz Rola (OSU) def. #100 Viktor Maksimcuk (UL) 3-6, 7-6, 6-3
3. Simon Childs (UL) def. #103 Ille Van Engelen (OSU) 7-6, 3-6, 10-7
4. #45 Matt Allare (OSU) def. Alejandro Calligari (UL) 6-4, 6-3
5. #55 Devin McCarthy (OSU) def. Andrew Carter (UL) 7-6, 6-3
6. Balazs Novak (OSU) def. Dante Terenzio (UL) 6-1, 6-1

Doubles
1. #26 Austen Childs/Viktor Maksimcuk (UL) def. #6 Chase Buchanan/Blaz Rola (OSU) 8-4
2. #10 Matt Allare/Peter Kobelt (OSU) def. #50 Simon Childs/Alejandro Calligari (UL) 8-5
3. #66 Devin McCarthy/Balazs Novak (OSU) def. Robert Hall/Adam Donaldson (UL) 8-6

Match Notes:
Louisville 8-5; National ranking #15
Ohio State 14-1; National ranking #3
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3);Singles (6,4,1,5,3,2)
A: 247 T: 3:15


Buckeyes Close Out Snowbird Classic With 4-2 Win Over Western Michigan
Combined Stats PDF Box Score




PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. - Ohio State closed its trip to the Snowbird Classic with a 4-2 win over Western Michigan Sunday afternoon in Port Charlotte, Fla.
Western Michigan used a leadoff walk to plate the first run of the game in the top of the first. After Vinnie Booker's walk and a sacrifice bunt by Zach Thoma, Grant Simotes laced an RBI single up the middle to give the Broncos a 1-0 lead. After a fielders' choice, a single and a walk, Western Michigan had the bases loaded with two down but Ohio State starter John Kuchno induced a ground ball to third for a fielders' choice to end the inning.
The Buckeyes wasted no time knotting the score at one. Tim Wetzel reached on an error to lead off the bottom of the first and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Tyler Engle. After a flyout by Josh Dezse, Brian DeLucia drilled a single up the middle to score Wetzel and tie the game.
Ohio State then added to the lead in the second when Ryan Cypret and Brad Hutton hit back-to-back long balls to left to lead off the inning. They were the first-career home runs for both players, Hutton's coming in just his second official at-bat as a Buckeye. It also marked the first time Ohio State has gone back-to-back since Cory Kovanda and Michael Stephens accomplished the feat on March 1, 2009 against Connecticut.
The Broncos answered back with one in the top of the third to cut the lead to 3-2. After a leadoff walk to Thoma, the Western Michigan junior stole second and scored on a two-out single by Jack Scanlon after Theron Minium came on to replace Kuchno with two down.
Western Michigan threatened again in the top of the fifth with runners on second and third and just one down when David Fathalikhani came into the game to replace Minium. However, the redshirt junior came up huge, striking out Simotes, the WMU three-hitter, before getting Troy Forton to fly out to left and end the inning.
The Buckeyes plated another in the bottom of the seventh when David Corna drove in Matt Streng, who had walked to lead off the inning, putting the Buckeyes up 4-2 heading into the eighth.
Andrew Armstrong replaced Fathalikhani after 2.2 scoreless innings, giving up one hit while striking out three. The junior left-hander answered the bell, tossing a 1-2-3 eighth against the heart of the Western Michigan lineup.
Dezse then came on to pitch a scoreless ninth, striking out a batter, to earn his second career save while Fathalikhani picked up his first career win.
DeLucia and Hutton each had two hits for the Buckeyes but the story of the game was the job of the bullpen: 6.1 scoreless innings, giving up four hits and a walk while striking out five.
The Buckeyes (4-3) travel to Forest City, N.C., for three games against Army, Western Carolina and Akron March 4-6.
NOTES


Falcon Offense Comes Alive In 9-6 Loss To Ball State

Kennesaw, Ga. – The Bowling Green State University softball team had its best offensive performance of the 2011 season but the Falcons were unable to hold off Ball State 9-6 Sunday morning. Although the two teams both play in the Mid-American Conference, the game was a non-conference tilt in the Phyllis Rafter Memorial, hosted by Kennesaw State.

Bowling Green jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first inning, but Ball State used a seven-run second to take the lead and the Cardinals held the Falcons scoreless the rest of the way.

Hannah Fulk opened the game with a double to left center and Rachel Proehl followed with an RBI triple for a quick 1-0 lead. Paige Berger then slammed an RBI double to make it 2-0 and Erika Stratton singled to put runners on first and third. Andrea Arney then had an RBI single that made it 3-0 before Ball State finally got the first out of the game on a Missy Bowman ground out.

Zada Lines then reached on a throwing error that plated another run and made it 4-0 and Katie Yoho singled home another run, while the sixth run scored on a fielding error by the centerfielder.

When the dust settled, Bowling Green staked starting pitcher Melissa Bott to a 6-0 lead. However, Ball State answered back with a run on two hits in the bottom of the first and then scored seven times on six hits in the second to take an 8-6 lead. The Cardinals added one more run in the fourth for the final 9-6 score.

Proehl led Bowling Green offensively by going 2-for-4 with a triple, a run, and an RBI. In all, the Falcons pounded out eight hits but Ball State had 11. Freshman pitcher Erin Greenwalt took the loss on the mound to fall to 0-4 on the year.

Ball State improved to 6-2 with the win and Bowling Green fell to 1-9. The Falcons are off until playing in the Comfort Inn Softball Classic March 5-6, hosted by Morehead State


WOODSTOCK, Ga. – Senior Suzie Rzegocki struck out eight en route to taking sole possession of the Purdue shutouts record, and the Boilermaker offense provided a late-inning rally to seal the 5-0 win over Mississippi State on Sunday.

Rzegocki moved to 7-2 on the season with the complete-game victory, while Kylie Vry (2-6) was saddled with the loss for MSU. Misty Flesher and Lindsey Dunlap also saw time in the circle for the Bulldogs.

Seven different players contributed offensively for Purdue as the team racked up its five runs on seven hits. Senior Shelby Krammer provided a two-run home run to get the scoring started.

MSU managed a pair of hits in the first, but left both runners stranded in scoring position.

The Boilermakers got their first hit in the fourth as freshman Lindsey Rains lifted a two-out single into left center. A fly ball to deep left field, however, kept her from advancing further.

After recording 13 straight outs, Rzegocki allowed a two-out single in the fifth, but forced a grounder the following play to keep the scoreboard clean.

Purdue took advantage of a leadoff walk in the sixth to snap the shutout. Rzegocki drew the free pass and went to second on a ground out before coming home on a two-out double to left center by freshman Andie Varsho. A strikeout kept the Boilermakers from adding to the 1-0 lead.

The Boilermakers put the game out of reach with four runs on five hits in the seventh. Krammer made it 3-0 by bouncing a two-run shot off the light pole in left field. The round tripper drove in freshman Kim McMillan, who reached on single to right to start the inning, and forced an MSU pitching change. A pair of singles put sophomore Erika Petruzzi and freshman Danielle Fletcher aboard, then a wild pitch moved the duo into scoring position. Rzegocki picked up an RBI with a grounder to second base. Freshman Tori Chiodo brought Fletcher home with a single through the left side. Chiodo stole second and third and was joined on base by junior Molly Garst, who walked and promptly stole second. Dunlap entered the game and forced a fly out and a ground out to keep the score at 5-0 and get out of the inning.

The Bulldogs kept hope alive with a one-out single up the middle in the final stanza. A two-out infield single kept the game going, but a grounder to third base prevented a comeback bid.

Purdue (8-3) returns to action at 1 p.m. when the team faces off with Mercer to wrap up its stay at the Phyllis Rafter Memorial Classic.




Beck and Turner Garner First Team All-CCAC Honors
HAMMOND, Ind. – Purdue University Calumet’s Stephaine Beck and Tierra Turner each earned first team all-conference honors, as the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference released its 2010-11 women’s basketball awards on Saturday afternoon.
PUC was one of three conference squads to place multiple players on the first team, after recording the best record of the Tom Megyesi era with a 17-13 mark on the year. The Peregrines finished the campaign with a 7-5 record in the league, before falling to eventual tournament champion, Cardinal Stritch, in the CCAC Semifinals.
Turner ranked among the league leaders in every major statistical category on her way to an unprecedented five conference weekly honors. The 2009-10 CCAC Freshman of the Year led the Peregrines with 19.0 points, 10.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.7 steals per game, recording 14 double-doubles on the season.
Beck was named First Team All-CCAC for the first time in career, after garnering honorable mention all-conference honors last season as a sophomore. The 5-foot-7 guard had a banner year, averaging a career-high 17.5 points per game, while connecting on a conference-best 2.9 trifectas per game. Beck finished the year ranked atop the CCAC and seventh in the nation with 44 percent shooting from downtown.
Megyesi will graduate seniors Britton and MeMe Harris, but is set to employ the services of three returning starters and seven letterwinners as well as a touted recruiting class next season.