Oregon State
Jacksonville State
OSU Softball Season Ends in 14-Inning Heartbreaker
May 22, 2016 | Softball
AUBURN, Ala. – Right-handers Bev Miller and Meehra Nelson combined to hold Jacksonville State to one earned run in 14 innings, but the Oregon State softball team committed a season-high five errors as the Beavers fell to the Gamecocks, 5-4, from Jane B. Moore Field on Saturday in the Auburn Regional of the NCAA Tournament.
With the result, Oregon State's season comes to an end. The Beavers finished the season with a final overall record of 30-20-1. Tonight's game was the longest by innings in program history, as the Beavers had previously played 13-inning games against Stanford in 1998 and Portland State in 1997.
“Our players fought their hearts out tonight,” Oregon State head coach Laura Berg said. “The walks and errors absolutely killed us. We can't have five errors and give up six walks and expect to win the ballgame. I'm so proud of this team. Through all of the adversity they've faced this season, they played like champs. I'm proud of our seniors and am proud of them helping our young team get to the postseason. Now we've got postseason experience under our belts and we'll carry that over to next year.”
Miller did not factor into the decision despite giving the Beavers a strong start. The senior from Portland, Ore. held the Gamecocks (42-16) to two runs (one earned) on nine hits and four walks with three strikeouts in six innings. Nelson (16-10) was charged with the loss despite not allowing the Gamecocks an earned run. The freshman was spectacular in seven innings of relief, allowing three unearned runs on five hits and a pair of walks with a career-high 12 strikeouts.
Nelson finishes her freshman campaign with 211 strikeouts, marking only the second time in program history that a freshman has recorded 200 strikeouts in a single season (Crystal Draper in 1999). Nelson is the fifth pitcher in program history overall to reach that milestone, and the first to strike out 200 since 2006, when former All-American Brianne McGowan struck out 258.
Gamecock starting pitcher Whitney Gillespie also did not factor into the decision despite a 12.1-inning start. Gillespie allowed all four Beaver runs on nine hits and a walk with 11 strikeouts. Taylor West (16-5) earned the win after striking out one in a clean 1.2-inning outing.
Jacksonville State scored the game-winning run in the 14th inning on a Beaver error, a dropped fly ball. Runners were on second and third, with the first reaching on a walk and the second on a throwing error that allowed each to advance a base and set up the final run scored.
Oregon State had led the Gamecocks in the 13th inning, as left fielder Lovie Lopez gave the Beavers a 4-2 lead on a two-run single up the middle. Her two-RBI knock scored center fielder Jessica Garcia from third and shortstop McKenna Arriola from second. Both singled and moved up a base on a Shelby Weeks sacrifice bunt.
However, the Gamecocks responded with two runs in the home half of the frame to extend the game. Leadoff batter Jordan Bullock reached second to open the frame on a dropped pop up, and moved to third on a fielder's choice, as it was ruled that she avoided a tag on the way to third base. The lead runner scored on an RBI groundout by Stephanie Lewis, while the second run came home on Gillespie double to left.
Jacksonville State opened the game with six hits through three innings, loading the bases in the first inning and putting runners on the corners in the second. The Beaver defense worked out of those two jams, but the Gamecocks broke the scoreless tie with a run in the bottom of the third. The Gamecocks' Bullock scored the eventual run after reaching on a walk and moving to third on a groundout and Jamie McGuire single. Jacksonville State's Lewis drove in the eventual run on a single through the right side.
The Gamecocks plated another run in the bottom of the fifth inning to extend their lead to 2-0. With a runner on third, the Beavers committed a fielding error, allowing the runner to score.
Needing two runs in the top of the seventh to keep the game alive, the Beavers came through with exactly that many runs to send the game to extra innings. First baseman Natalie Hampton and second baseman Madison Anthony singled and walked, respectively, to put the game-tying run on second with none out. Third baseman Christie Langlois bunted the runners over, and designated player Alysha Everett delivered the two-RBI single down the right field line to tie the game at two runs apiece.
Nelson entered in relief in the seventh inning, working the Beavers out of jams in that inning as well as the eighth inning. Jacksonville State had runners on second and third with none out, but Nelson struck out two and got a popout to send the game to extra innings. In the eighth inning, the Gamecocks had a one-out baserunner on second, but Nelson got all three outs by way of the strikeout to extend the game and set up Saturday's 14-inning classic.
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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