Oregon State
Alabama
Softball Ends Season With Heartbreaking 1-0 Loss To Top-Seeded Alabama
May 18, 2001 | Softball
May 18, 2001
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The No. 4 seeded Oregon State softball team lost a heartbreaker to No. 1 seeded Alabama, 1-0, in the NCAA Regional Tournament late Friday night. The loss was the second for the Beavers in tournament play, ending their season with a 44-24-1 record.
In the pitcher's dual, the Crimson Tide scored the lone run of the contest in the top of the fourth inning. To lead off the inning, UA's Jackie McClain popped up a foul ball behind home plate that was dropped by the Beavers, and in her prolonged at-bat, McClain reached base after singling to right field.
Ginger Jones followed with a shot to the right-side that OSU second baseman Cara Maxey fielded and tossed to senior Shawna Feldt to get Amber Zugg (pinch running for McClain) out at second. Lindsay Testa proceeded to single to right-center which advanced Jones to third with one-out, setting up the game-winning sacrifice fly to deep left field by Lacy Prejean.
The Beavers had their best chance to score in the bottom of the fourth when Shawna Feldt led off the inning with a double to right-center field. Shelly Prochaska followed with a sacrifice bunt that advanced Feldt to third base with just one-down.
Alabama pitcher Shelley Laird put an end to OSU's momentum however, when she forced catcher Traci Feldt to pop-up and struck out Steph Adams to get out of the inning.
The Beavers were unable to piece anything together offensively for the rest of the game.
"It was a hard-fought game," commented OSU head coach Kirk Walker. "Our team played well and hard - we left it all on the field."
OSU junior pitcher Crystal Draper allowed just three hits in the game and retired 10-straight after the unearned run crossed the plate in the fourth.
"Crystal threw a great ball-game," said Walker. "She got big outs against their key hitters."
Draper finished the season with a 28-12 overall record, tying OSU's single-season mark for wins.
"Our team just did awesome tonight," said an obviously disappointed Draper. "The loss is tough, but the hardest thing is knowing that we're not going to be playing with Shawna (Feldt) and Brooke (Rutschman) again."
Feldt finished the game leading the team with a 2-for-3 effort from the plate, including a double. Rutschman didn't fare as well in her final night as a Beaver, going hitless, but her deep fly ball to the warning track in center field was just feet away from tying the contest in the fifth.
Oregon State recorded four hits on the night compared to Alabama's three.
The No. 14 ranked Beavers finished the season with the second-most wins (44) in program history and their third consecutive appearance in the NCAA Regional Tournament.
GAME RESULTS:
Alabama - 000 100 0 - 1 3 0
Oregon State - 000 000 0 - 0 4 1
Draper and T. Feldt (OSU), Laird and Prejean (UA). WP - Laird (32-5), LP - Draper (28-12). 2B - Burnum (OSU), S. Feldt (OSU).
