Oregon State
California
No. 24 Oregon State Defeats Cal, 5-3, Evens Series
March 26, 2016 | Softball
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Junior third baseman Madison Anthony drove in two runs on a double and her sixth home run of the season to power the 24th-ranked Oregon State softball team past the California Golden Bears, 5-3, on Friday at the OSU Softball Complex.
With the result, Oregon State (21-8-1, 1-4 Pac-12) evens the series with the Golden Bears (12-12-1, 1-2-1 Pac-12) at one win apiece. The series is set to be decided in a 12:30 p.m. PT rubber match on Saturday, with television coverage available on Pac-12 Oregon and Pac-12 Bay Area.
“We had a much, much better approach today,” Oregon State head coach Laura Berg said. “We were improved mentally and played with a purpose, rather than how we perhaps played a bit on our heels yesterday. It was big to score and threaten early in the game. It put a lot of pressure on Cal today.”
Along with Anthony, redshirt junior designated player Natalie Hampton drove in two runs on her eighth double of the season. Freshman right fielder Shelby Weeks finished 2-for-3, while sophomore left fielder Lovie Lopez had a single, RBI and run scored, and senior second baseman Mikela Manewa had a single, walk and run scored.
Senior right-hander Bev Miller (9-4) picked up the win for the Beavers after holding Cal to three runs (two earned) on seven hits and two walks with two strikeouts in five innings pitched. Freshman righty Meehra Nelson limited the Golden Bears to two walks with two strikeouts over two final hitless, scoreless innings to pick up her fourth save of the season.
“When Bev is on, she's tough to hit,” Berg said. “She's got a great dropball and kept them off balance with the changeup. She did a great job.”
Kristin Cullen (2-2) was charged with loss for Cal, allowing the Beavers two runs on four hits with a strikeout in a 2.1-inning start.
After falling behind early in the previous three games, Oregon State got on the board first, taking a 1-0 lead on Anthony's solo home run in the bottom of the second inning. The Beavers added three more in the next frame to extend their lead to 4-0, as Anthony picked up her second RBI on a double and Hampton knocked in two on a double of her own.
Cal responded with three runs in the top of the fourth inning to trim the Beaver lead back to one. A respective walk and error in the Bears' first two at-bats of the frame set up Taurie Pogue, who drove both in on a two-run double. The Bears' Danielle Bowers, who pinch ran for Pogue, moved to third on an Octavia Bond single, and scored on a Lindsay Rood groundout as Cal cut the lead to 4-3.
The Beavers added an insurance run in the bottom of the fourth, led off by a single from Kayleen Shafer. Riley Gregoire pinch ran for her, and along with McKenna Arriola, who followed with a one-out single, displayed savvy baserunning, as Gregoire moved up to third and Arriola advanced to second on the throw to third. Lopez was robbed of her second single of the game on a diving effort by Cal second baseman Kylie Reed, but drove in Gregoire from third on the groundout to give OSU a 5-3 lead over the Bears.
Cal was only able to reach base on a pair of walks down the stretch, as Nelson stymied the Golden Bears over the final two innings to set up Saturday's rubber match.
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.
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