Oregon State
Iowa State
Beavers Nab Another Walk-Off Victory; Split Two in Cathedral City
February 23, 2012 | Softball
Feb. 23, 2012
OSU 5 Iowa State 4 Box Score 
| New Mexico 10 OSU 6 Box Score
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. - Ya Garcia extended her hitting streak to eight games and Lea Cavestany had a walk-off single and smacked her third home run of the season as the Oregon State softball team split a pair of games on the first day of its nationally renowned Cathedral City Classic tournament on Thursday. The Beavers defeated Iowa State, 5-4, late in the afternoon before dropping a 10-6 decision to New Mexico in the early evening.
The results move OSU's record to 8-4 on the year, the team's best start since the 2007 squad had the same mark through 12 games.
Playing the Cyclones in a ballpark built to resemble fabled Yankee Stadium, Oregon State jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third inning. Garcia led off with a bunt single down the third-base line and made her way to second after a Hannah Bouska sacrifice bunt put her in scoring position with two outs.
On the first pitch of her at-bat, shortstop Elizabeth Santana roped her second double of the day to plate Garcia without a throw. Four pitches later, third baseman Desiree Beltran traded places with her companion from the left side of the diamond, crushing her double to left-center field to stake OSU to the two-run edge.
Bouska would grow the lead to 4-0 with a two-RBI single in the very next inning, but a feisty Iowa State group would tie the game, 4-4, in the sixth to set up Oregon State for its third one-run victory in its past four games.
Santana led off the seventh inning with a single up the middle and was backed up by another Beltran hit. The pair advanced on a groundout off the bat of Erin Guzy to put runners on second and third with one out for Cavestany. The Beavers' left fielder worked the count to 2-2, before staying back and taking a tough pitch into the opposite field gap to score Santana and claim the 5-4 victory.
Bouska (1-for-3, 2 RBI), Santana (3-for-3 RBI, 2 R) and Beltran (2-for-4, RBI), the Beavers' 2-3-4 hitters, were a combined 6-for-10 in the game, driving in four and scoring twice.
In the nightcap, OSU and New Mexico grappled in a back-and-forth affair, with the Beavers trailing all evening until a four-run fourth inning gave them a 5-3 advantage, highlighted by a Cavestany homer to lead off the inning and another two-RBI base knock for Bouska with one out. Also in the fourth, Garcia slapped another hit down the line in left to extend her team-high hitting streak to eight games.
In the final three frames, Oregon State could only manage one more run, as a pair of UNM long balls in the top of the seventh sealed the deal for the Lobos to walk away with a 10-6 win.
Santana had four hits in five total at-bats on the day to raise her average to .405 and Bouska drove in a team-high five runs on three hits in the two games.
The Beavers are back at it tomorrow afternoon against a pair of Big Ten foes. OSU plays Ohio State at 12:30 p.m. followed by a tilt with Iowa at 3:00 p.m.
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