Oregon State
San Diego State
No. 23 Softball Comes Back to Defeat San Diego State
March 10, 2013 | Softball
March 10, 2013
FRESNO, Calif. – An eight-run fifth inning propelled the No. 23 Oregon State softball back from a four-run deficit to defeat San Diego State, 9-5, at the Bayer CropScience Classic on Sunday. The Beavers (20-4) pounded out 11 more hit Sunday, giving them a total of 34 in the three-game weekend.
After falling behind in the first and watching the Aztecs add on in the fourth and fifth, the Beavers faced a 4-0 deficit. To say the bats awoke would be an understatement. The first five OSU batters of the inning had hits. Catcher Ally Kutz and right fielder Ashley Sanchez singled Gilmore in, and shortstop Elizabeth Santana tied the score with an RBI triple into the right field corner. Sanchez and Santana each had a pair of hits. In just five batters, the Beavers had tied the score. But they were only halfway there.
Sensing trouble, the Aztecs changed pitchers, only to walk first baseman Natalie Hampton on four consecutive pitches. Senior Maggie Doremus pinch ran for Hampton, and after stealing second she came around hot on Santana's heels to score on third baseman Desiree Beltran 's two-run single to right. Beltran and Hampton each hit .600 (6-for-10) this weekend, with Beltran driving in seven runs.
Beltran then moved to third on a gap double from second baseman Ya Garcia. Beltran would score on an error and Garcia snuck home on a rundown play with Bouska hanging out to dry just long enough to count the run. Garcia and Bouska also had two hits apiece.
San Diego State got a run back in the top of the sixth to make it 8-5, but the Beavers manufactured a run in the bottom half. Gilmore walked, stole second, moved to third on a Sanchez sacrifice bunt and scored on Santana's groundout to second. Gilmore walked five times this weekend, helping her to a .667 on-base percentage in the three games.
Senior Tina Andreana went the first four innings and earned a no-decision after allowing four runs and striking out two.
In the three games in Fresno, the Beavers hit .415 as a team. The Beavers were retired 1-2-3 just twice all weekend.
Oregon State plays its home opener Thursday afternoon in a doubleheader against New Mexico beginning at noon.
