OSU Softball Slugs Past CSUN, 6-2, to Move to 3-0

Saturday, February 13

Tempe, AZ

6:30 PM

Oregon State

3-0

CSUN

2-2

CSUN

Oregon State

Photo by: Dave Nishitani/Oregon State Athletics

February 14, 2016 | Softball

Box Score

By: Athletic Communications

TEMPE, Ariz. – Freshman right fielder Shelby Weeks slugged a no-doubt three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to lift the Oregon State softball team to a 3-0 start to the season and a 6-2 win over the CSUN Matadors on Saturday night at the Tempe Sports Complex.

Oregon State took a 3-0 lead into the sixth inning, but CSUN carved the lead down to 3-2 with a pair of back-to-back solo home runs in the top of the sixth. The Beavers responded in the second half of the frame, as pinch hitter Christie Langlois walked and sophomore shortstop McKenna Arriola was hit by pitch to set up Weeks' three-run shot, which put the game away at 6-2.

“Shelby was clutch,” Oregon State head coach Laura Berg said. “We needed those runs. With two outs, Christie starts it and McKenna gets on and causes pressure on the defense. Shelby came up with a clutch beast of a home run – you knew the minute it came off the bat it was going out.”

Weeks finished the night 2-for-4 with the aforementioned three-run home run, as well as a double and a pair of runs scored. Sophomore first baseman Alysha Everett had a two-RBI double with a pair of walks, while senior second baseman Mikela Manewa accounted for the other RBI on a sacrifice fly.

Freshman right-hander Meehra Nelson (2-0) picked up her second win in as many starts to begin her college career, holding the Matadors to two runs on four hits and two walks with seven strikeouts in a complete-game outing. Daphne Pofek (1-1) was charged with the loss for CSUN.

The first five innings featured a pitchers' duel between the two teams, with CSUN's best early opportunity to score coming in the top of the fifth. With one out, a Matador walk and ground-rule double put runners on second and third. After Nelson struck out the next batter, Oregon State decided to load the bases with an intentional walk. The decision paid off, as the next CSUN batter popped out to second, and the Beavers escaped the jam.

Oregon State took advantage of the scoreless top half and scored the first three runs of the game in the bottom of the frame. After an Arriola bunt single, Weeks moved her up to third on a double down the left field line. Everett drove in both on a double to the left center gap, and after an error put Beavers on the corners, a Manewa sacrifice fly in foul territory brought the lead runner home to give Oregon State a 3-0 lead after five.

“We were hitting some good shots early, but they ended up going right at people,” Berg said. “We were persistent and relentless and just hung in there. It didn't come quite as easily as it did last night, but that's okay – we're going to have games like that. Our players stuck with it and did a great job.”

The Oregon State softball team closes out the 2016 Kajikawa Classic with a pair of games on Sunday. The Beavers are set to face Cal Poly at 10:15 a.m. PT (11:15 a.m. in Tempe) and New Mexico at 12:30 p.m. PT (1:30 p.m. in Tempe).

For more information on the Oregon State softball team, follow the club's official Twitter account at Twitter.com/OregonStateSB, by Facebook at Facebook.com/OregonStateSB or on Instagram at Instagram.com/OregonStateSB.