Oregon State
Arizona
Softball Plates Most Runs In Tucson Since 2009; Drops Game One
May 10, 2012 | Softball
May 10, 2012
TUCSON, Ariz. - The 24th-ranked Oregon State softball team scored more runs against No. 16 Arizona than it had in the last three seasons, but a big fourth-inning for the Wildcats was more than the Beavers could overcome, as OSU lost game one of a three-game series, 12-4, in Tucson on Thursday night.
Oregon State's four runs were the most it had scored in any game against Arizona since it pushed across nine in a 12-9 loss on March 27, 2009. The defeat dropped OSU's record to 33-20 overall and 8-13 in conference play.
The Beavers started things off in the top of the second, scoring a trio of runs on four hits. Erin Guzy led off the inning with an opposite-field single through the left side and Lea Cavestany followed her up doing almost the same, instead pulling her single through the right side to move Guzy to second. Desiree Beltran extended her own OSU record when she was hit by a pitch for the 17th time this year to load the bases.
Paige Hall pulled a single in the hole between shortstop and third base to score Guzy and two batters later, Dani Gilmore worked a masterful 11-pitch at bat into a walk to force in Cavestany from third. With two outs, Hannah Bouska singled to shortstop to tack on another run and make it 3-0 Oregon State.
Arizona (34-16, 11-11) threatened in the bottom of the frame, but Gilmore made her second highlight-worthy play in as many games, ranging back on a Kristen Arriola fly ball to make a leaping grab at the wall in center and rob the Wildcats' second baseman of extra bases. With two outs and the bases loaded later in the inning, Karissa Buchanan grounded to shortstop. Elizabeth Santana flipped to Ya Garcia at second, who made an acrobatic grab and somehow was able to keep her foot on the bag to force out Arizona's runner and prevent any damage on the scoreboard.
The Wildcats opened things up in the fourth when Jessica Spigner led off with a walk and Chelsea Goodacre singled to put two runners on. On the first pitch she saw, Arriola hit a home run over the fence in left field to tie things up at 3-3.
Three successive singles after Arriola's home run loaded the bases for Brigette Del Ponte, who hit a grand slam to make the score 7-3. A Lini Koria solo shot added another run to make it 8-3 Arizona after four innings.
The Beavers added another run in the fifth when, with one out, Gilmore doubled off the wall in left field and with two away, Santana blooped a single into right field to score the OSU freshman from second and pull Oregon State to within four, 8-4.
Arizona scored three more in the bottom of the fifth and another in the sixth to make the final score 12-4.
Gilmore's run give her 40 this season, which is tied for sixth in single-season history at Oregon State. Her bases loaded walk in the second upped her total in that category to 34, which places her in a tie for seventh in program history.
The Beavers' four runs on Thursday night increased their total this season to 278, which moves them into third place in school history. The 2007 team scored 296 and OSU's 2004 squad plated 280.
Game two of the series is set for Friday night, May 11, at 7 p.m.
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