Oregon State
Maine
Beavers Hold Black Bears At Bay In Doubleheader Sweep
February 27, 2012 | Softball
Feb. 27, 2012
FULLERTON, Calif. - The Oregon State softball team had its best day in the circle this season and scored in double figures for the first time in 12 outings as all facets of the game - pitching, hitting and defense - came together on Monday afternoon to give the Beavers a doubleheader sweep of Maine in Fullerton, Calif. OSU dominated its East Coast counterparts, shutting out the Black Bears by a combined score of 17-0. The Beavers took game one, 4-0, before ending game two after only five innings, crushing Maine, 13-0.
Oregon State is now 13-4 overall on the season, its best start since the 2006 team began that year 28-2.
In the opener, Marina Demore continued to impress with another lights-out pitching display. She surrendered only three hits in 7.0 innings, not allowing a single run and striking out four. In her last 16.2 innings, the junior has not permitted a single opponent to cross the plate, helping her catapult to the top of the Pac-12 leaderboard in almost every pitching category. She came into the game today with a tiny 1.97 ERA.
The Beavers staked Demore to an early lead in the first inning on a trio of back-to-back-to-back hits from their 3-4-5 batters. Elizabeth Santana started it off with the team's first triple of the season, a booming three-bagger off the wall in right-center field. Not to be outdone, Desiree Beltran followed with a wall-banger of her own, this time going for two bases off the fence in left-center to score Santana. Nikki Chandler ran for Beltran after the double and was promptly brought home on a single by Erin Guzy.
Those two runs would obviously be all Oregon State would need to get the win. OSU added two more in the third when Hannah Bouska singled on a picture-perfect bunt with Dani Gilmore at first. An errant throw by Maine traveled far down the right-field line and both Beaver speedsters came all the way around to score and cement the 4-0 final.
Aryn Feickert got the start in game two, which wasn't nearly as close, and stifled the Black Bear hitters all afternoon, giving up only two hits in five innings en route to her first collegiate win. The freshman has tossed 11 innings so far this season and has yet to allow a run in her career.
The Beavers scored at least once in each inning but the fourth, highlighted by an eight-run fifth to ice the game. Desiree Beltran (4), Mary Claire Brenner (1), Paige Hall (3) and Elizabeth Santana (1) all homered for OSU. Those long balls included Brenner's first hit of the year and Santana's first home run in the Orange and Black.
In that fifth inning, sophomore Bailee Niehus also tallied her first career hit and RBI on a lined single to left field to score Emily Richardson from third.
The 13-0 final marked Oregon State's largest shutout victory since a 17-run triumph over UAB on March 29, 2006.
The Beavers will have a couple of days to rest before they return to Fullerton for the DeMarini Invitational beginning next Friday.
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