2004 Big Ten Softball Tournament -- Game 3 Recap
5/14/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball
DeVries Hits, Hurls Ohio State Past Iowa into Semifinals
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Alumni Field)
Event: Big Ten Conference Tournament (Game 3)
Result: Ohio State 5, Iowa 1
Records: #6 seed OSU (34-22), #3 seed Iowa (38-22)
Next OSU Game: Friday, May 14 -- vs. #2 seed Illinois, 5 p.m.
Key Play
An error and a wild pitch allowed Ohio State runners on second and third with two out for a Kristi DeVries double to left-center that scored two runs and gave Ohio State a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
Peak Performers
Kristi DeVries, P, Ohio State -- This senior pitcher held Iowa hitless until the bottom of the sixth when she gave up a solo home run for the only Hawkeye hit and run allowed in the contest. DeVries also helped herself out at the plate, going 2-for-4 including a two-run double in the top of the first.
Emily Gerlick, 2B, Iowa -- The sophomore managed the only hit and run off DeVries, slugging a monster home run to leftfield in the bottom of the sixth.
Jennifer Johnson, SS, Ohio State -- Johnson went 2-for-3 at the plate with one run scored and an RBI double in the top of the fourth.
N O T E S
The Ohio State victory marks Kristi DeVries' fourth complete-game one-hitter this season and makes her eighth straight win.
Ohio State has won eight of its last 13 games.
Kristi DeVries went 5 1/3 innings of hitless ball before giving up a solo home run to Emily Gerlick in the bottom of the sixth.
With Iowa's elimination today and Michigan's elimination yesterday, it marks the first time in 11 years the Hawkeyes and the Wolverines have not been in the finals of the Big Ten Tournament.
Since the inception of the Big Ten Tournament in 1982, and since it resumed in 1995, Michigan and Iowa have combined for all but two tournament victories. The other two victors were Northwestern taking the title in 1982 and Minnesota winning in 1999.
Emily Gerlick's round-tripper gives her five on the season and ties her with Lisa Birocci and Natalie Johnson for the Iowa team lead in homers.
There was a 28-minute inclement weather delay before the bottom of the seventh inning.
Q U O T E S
Iowa Head Coach Gayle Blevins
On the game ... "We gave a very lackluster performance and we were beaten in all categories. We made a couple of costly errors and only had one hit. You're not going to win ballgames like that."
On OSU pitcher Kristi DeVries ... "DeVries just threw a very good game and we didn't adjust to her."
Ohio State Senior Pitcher Kristi DeVries
On her leg ... "It's all right. I just have a stress fracture, so yeah, it's all right."
On giving her the chance to pitch ... "I've been playing like this all season. I've had a sprained ankle, maybe two stress fractures, but it had nothing to do with that. I just come out here to play. I don't even think about that. It's about the game right now, it's my last couple games you know and you've got to come out and do what you can."
On her performance ... "Everyone was seeing the ball and hitting it. We had a really good defense behind me, and it came through for us."
On getting to the next round ... "You know what The Big Ten is a really good conference right now. It's anyone's game on any given day. Everyone's doing really good right now. Any team that we play next is going to be a really tough game."
Ohio State Head Coach Linda Kalafatis
On Kristi DeVries on the mound ... "What a young lady she is! She started the season playing a little scared in the senior leadership captain role now. It took her a tournament or two to settle in, and when she did she really did, and she's thrown all throughout the Big Ten season really great for us. To come out here and only give up one hit to such a solid Iowa squad, I can't say enough about the job that she did."
On the two runs in first inning ... "I think it was big. We play a really young lineup -- our first four are freshmen -- so it was great to get those runs and settle in. There is not a coach in the country that wouldn't take them."
On the tourney being wide open ... "I think everybody took a little sigh (of relief) when Michigan got knocked out. You've got to come into this tournament believing it's anybody's tournament. That's why we expanded to eight teams because we do believe that the No. 8 team can win like what happened last night. We're just going to keep playing well, try to execute, and see if we can be standing on the last day."
