COLUMBUS, Ohio, May 6, 2001 The Nittany Lion softball team fell to Ohio State, 3-1, to close out the regular season schedule. Penn State will wait for results around the Big Ten to determine its Big Ten Tournament seeding. The Lions fall to 30-23 overall and 9-11 in the Big Ten, while the Buckeyes are 45-16 and 14-6 in the conference. The Lions were able to stay in the game this afternoon, allowing just one hit in the first two innings of play. The Buckeyes' second and third hits resulted in the game's first run of the game. Ohio State's Jennifer Link hit a deep ball to center field to score the run and for the 1-0 lead. Ohio State quickly added on to that lead in the top of the fourth with a double down the left field line and tacked on another run in the third for the 3-0 lead. Ohio State pitcher Kristie DeVries had a no hitter going into the fifth inning, but freshman Barbie Pierce (Citrus Heights, Calif./El Camino) broke it up with a bloop single to center field. That hit would result in the Lion's first run of the series, as senior Karen Gulini (Easton, Pa./Easton Area), who was pinch running for Pierce, crossed the plate, cutting into the lead, 3-1. Despite the two losses to Ohio State this weekend, the Lions still clinched a spot in the Big Ten Tournament, May 10-13. A 3-0 loss by Northwestern to Iowa last night guaranteed Penn State one of the final two spots in the conference tournament. It is the third-straight year the Lions will participate in the postseason tournament. Depending on the outcome of the Minnesota-Wisconsin game, the Lions will be either a number five or six seed. The tournament site is also yet to be determined. Michigan and Iowa will be the potential tournament hosts.
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