Oregon State
Utah
Beavers' Bats Bash Utes; Four Bombs Spearhead Rout
April 27, 2012 | Softball
April 27, 2012
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - The 23rd-ranked Oregon State softball team smacked four home runs as part of an 11-hit barrage, burying conference-newcomer Utah under an onslaught of 10 unanswered runs in a dominant eight-run victory in Salt Lake City on Friday night. The game, a 10-2 final, was easily the Beavers' most prominent offensive performance in a Pac-12 contest in the last half decade.
As has been the story for much of the season, Oregon State shellacked the Utes (25-22, 0-16) while eclipsing another handful of offensive milestones. The Beavers' 10-run output was the team's most in a conference game since 2010, when OSU plated the same number in a 10-8 victory over Stanford on April 11. Including tonight's performance, the Beavers have only scored 10 or more runs in conference games five times since 1994. In all games this season, Oregon State has reached double-digits in runs eight times, which is second in team history to the 1978 squad that turned the trick 11 times.
Utah scored a single run in the bottom of the first before the Beavers decided to claim their second conference road victory of the season, a feat it hadn't accomplished since 2008. Desiree Beltran started things off by launching her team-leading seventh home run of the season to left field in the second and tying things up at 1-1. That's as close at the Utes would be all night.
Elizabeth Santana hit another solo shot in the fifth, her fifth of the year and fourth in conference play, to give the Beavers their first lead of the game, 2-1. OSU would extend the advantage to 3-1 on an RBI double by Ally Kutz in the sixth.
It was a seven-run seventh inning that put the game to rest for the Orange & Black. OSU started off the frame getting runners on first and second with nobody out when Hannah Bouska singled and Santana reached on an error by the second baseman. The pair would each move up two bases on back-to-back wild pitches, with Bouska plating the Beavers' fourth run.
Freshman Dani Gilmore tied Beltran's mark when she smoked her seventh home run of 2012 to right field with Santana at third to give Oregon State a 6-1 lead. An Erin Guzy walk, Paige Hall single and Kutz single added another run for OSU before Lea Cavestany crushed a three-run job off the scoreboard in right-center to end the firework, her fourth of the year.
When the dust had settled, the Beavers had hit four home runs in a game for already the third time this season (Maine & BYU) and had its ninth game with 10 or more hits. Utah would add one in the bottom of the seventh to make the final 10-2.
Tina Andreana started for Oregon State, giving up one earned in three innings of work. Paige Hall pitched the final four frames to earn her 14th win of the season, allowing only one hit and striking out three.
With the performance in game one against Utah, Oregon State has now scored 259 runs in 2012, which is the sixth most in school history. Next up is the 2006 WCWS team that scored 264 in 59 games.
The Beavers will try to add to that total in game two against the Utes. First pitch on Saturday, April 28, is set for 3 p.m. PT/4 p.m. MT.
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