Oregon State
Arizona State
Softball Battles To A Win against No. 3 Arizona State
April 10, 2012 | Softball
April 10, 2012
CORVALLIS, Ore. – The no. 24 Oregon State softball team defeated the no. 3 Arizona State Sundevils 4-2 in an inning to inning battle that lasted to the ninth inning when Elizabeth Santana hit her second homerun of the game.
“It was definitely a team win,” head coach Kirk Walker said. “We played really good defense and we pitched very well and did some good things. Offensively we capitalized on the opportunities that we had to. We didn't have a ton of runners on, but we capitalized when we needed to.”
This is the first time since 2008 that the Beavers have defeated a top-five team. They defeated then no. 3 UCLA in 2008 5-3.
The Beavers got on the board first against the Sundevils when Desiree Beltran hit a line-drive between the second and third bases to bring in a run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Beltran now has 31 hits on the season and 23 RBIs.
Tina Andreana got the start for the Beavers in the pitching circle and played a strong game for the first five innings, with the defense playing well behind her before she was relieved by Paige Hall in the sixth. Santana and Erin Guzy teamed up for several sleek plays on defense, helping keep the Sundevils scoreless through the seventh inning.
The Sundevils struck in the seventh inning when they got a run off a single. They were then able to capitalize off an Oregon State error to bring in another run to make the score 2-1 in Arizona State's favor entering the bottom of the seventh inning.
Oregon State had an answer to Arizona State's two runs in the top of the seventh. Santana smashed a homerun to the right fence to bring in a run to tie the game 2-2 in the bottom of the seventh inning. Oregon State and Arizona State stayed scoreless through the eighth inning, but Santana kept her momentum going from her first homerun of the game into the ninth inning where she drove in the winning two runs with her second homer of the game and her fourth of the season.
Paige Hall was awarded the win and is now 12-1 on the season.
The Beavers started the second game, but only got in four and a half innings before the game was suspended. Oregon State kept the same energy going into the second game and scores to take the lead 1-0 in the bottom of the second inning.
Lea Cavestany hit zinger to the right field and with a combination of errors by Arizona State's right fielder and shortstop, is able to bring in the RBI. The Sundevils tried to answer in the top of the fourth with a long ball out to center field with a runner on third, but Dani Gilmore was there to stop it and keep the Beavers in the lead.
The second half of the second game will continue tomorrow morning. Fans should be prepared for a 10:00 a.m. start time depending on the weather, but the time could be pushed to 10:30 a.m. due to weather conditions.
