Friday, February 16
Baton Rouge, LA
7:30 AM
Oregon State
5-2
1
vs
0
Central Arkansas
2-2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Oregon State
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
6
0
Central Arkansas
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
Photo by: Dave Nishitani/Oregon State Athletics
Oregon State Sweeps Day One of Purple and Gold Challenge
February 16, 2018 | Softball
Pitching shines in wins over Central Arkansas and Southern Utah
BATON ROUGE, La. – The No. RV/RV Oregon State University softball program rode the arms of junior Meehra Nelson (Simi Valley, Calif.) and freshman Mariah Mazon (Tulare, Calif.) at Tiger Park on Friday en route to a day one sweep of Central Arkansas and Southern Utah at the Purple and Gold Challenge.
"I thought we were a little slow and didn't hit as well as I hoped for these past two games," said head coach Laura Berg, "but they were wins and I'll take all the wins I can get."
GAME ONE vs CENTRAL ARKANSAS
Nelson (4-0) was billed as the starter in game one of the doubleheader and she responded with seven innings of work against the Bears (2-2), striking out 12 in the process to tie a career high while limiting batters to two hits.
The lone run of the game came in the second inning after the Beavers (5-2) loaded the bases behind a double that one-hopped the right field wall from senior Alysha Everett (Trabuco Canyon, Calif.), an infield single from freshman Missy Nunes (Livermore, Calif.) that caromed off the third baseman's glove, and a bloop single down the left field line from junior Kayleen Shafer (Mission Viejo, Calif.).
Freshman Chance Burden (Huntington Beach, Calif.) plated Everett on a sacrifice fly to left field, but the Bears escaped the inning with little damage as Ellie Reaves (0-2) forced an infield popup to end the frame.
Nelson took over from there, settling into a groove and striking out 12 by the sixth inning. The Westlake H.S. product sat down six of seven leadoff batters in the game and had retired 11 in a row starting from the end of the first inning before losing the no-hitter on a double down the left field line from Cylla Hill with one out in the bottom of the fifth.
The Simi Valley, Calif., native remained unfazed as she retired eight of the next 10 Bears to earn her first complete game shutout of 2018 while matching her career high in strikeouts. She also recorded 12 strikeouts in relief at the NCAA Regional game against Jacksonville State on May 21, 2016.
GAME TWO vs SOUTHERN UTAH
Mazon (2-2) did her best to repeat the gem for Oregon State (6-2) against the Thunderbirds (0-6) as she wriggled out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the top of the first by getting Mikaela Thomson on a swing and miss before scooping the ground ball from Kaitlin Williams to end the threat.
SUU ended up with one run in the stanza behind an RBI single up the middle from Taylei Williams.
The Tulare, Calif., native found a rhythm after that point as Southern Utah was held to two hits through the remainder of the contest while Mazon fanned seven.
Oregon State's bats had more pop on the backend of the doubleheader as junior Shelby Weeks (Tracy, Calif.) sent a two-out RBI double to left center that plated Burden, while freshman Hope Brandner (Vacaville, Calif.) cleared the bases with one swing behind a three-run smash to left field for a 4-1 OSU lead.
The Beavers ended up manufacturing a run in the bottom of the fifth behind clever baserunning from Weeks and senior McKenna Arriola (West Hills, Calif.) to keep the momentum in Oregon State's favor. Arriola started the look with a one-out liner to right field, stole second, and was moving to third on Weeks' bunt attempt during the following at bat.
Arriola rounded the bag and baited a throw from the first baseman after Weeks beat out the initial toss, but the defense was hamstrung as Weeks made a break for second to draw the throw from the catcher. Arriola followed up by swiping home and Weeks ended up on second after the dust had settled.
Brandner record her fourth RBI of the game after roping a single to left field that plated Weeks and set the score at 6-1 heading into the sixth.
The Thunderbirds got two runners on in the sixth and one in the seventh in an attempt to even the count, but Mazon provided the exclamation point by striking out her seventh of the game to end the contest.
The Beavers will face Louisiana Tech and No. 7/7 LSU for the second day of the challenge on Saturday, February 17. The contest against the Bulldogs will start at 2:30 p.m. CT (12:30 p.m. PT), while the game against the seventh-ranked Tigers will begin at 7:30 p.m. CT (5:30 p.m. PT).
For more information on the Oregon State softball team, visit OSUBeavers.com or follow the team @BeaverSoftball on Twitter
OREGON STATE ATHLETICS' EVERYDAY CHAMPIONS CULTURE
Through the power of sport, we help people discover and pursue their passions, talents and purpose in order to live a life of balance and positive contribution.
"I thought we were a little slow and didn't hit as well as I hoped for these past two games," said head coach Laura Berg, "but they were wins and I'll take all the wins I can get."
GAME ONE vs CENTRAL ARKANSAS
Nelson (4-0) was billed as the starter in game one of the doubleheader and she responded with seven innings of work against the Bears (2-2), striking out 12 in the process to tie a career high while limiting batters to two hits.
The lone run of the game came in the second inning after the Beavers (5-2) loaded the bases behind a double that one-hopped the right field wall from senior Alysha Everett (Trabuco Canyon, Calif.), an infield single from freshman Missy Nunes (Livermore, Calif.) that caromed off the third baseman's glove, and a bloop single down the left field line from junior Kayleen Shafer (Mission Viejo, Calif.).
Freshman Chance Burden (Huntington Beach, Calif.) plated Everett on a sacrifice fly to left field, but the Bears escaped the inning with little damage as Ellie Reaves (0-2) forced an infield popup to end the frame.
Nelson took over from there, settling into a groove and striking out 12 by the sixth inning. The Westlake H.S. product sat down six of seven leadoff batters in the game and had retired 11 in a row starting from the end of the first inning before losing the no-hitter on a double down the left field line from Cylla Hill with one out in the bottom of the fifth.
The Simi Valley, Calif., native remained unfazed as she retired eight of the next 10 Bears to earn her first complete game shutout of 2018 while matching her career high in strikeouts. She also recorded 12 strikeouts in relief at the NCAA Regional game against Jacksonville State on May 21, 2016.
GAME TWO vs SOUTHERN UTAH
Mazon (2-2) did her best to repeat the gem for Oregon State (6-2) against the Thunderbirds (0-6) as she wriggled out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the top of the first by getting Mikaela Thomson on a swing and miss before scooping the ground ball from Kaitlin Williams to end the threat.
SUU ended up with one run in the stanza behind an RBI single up the middle from Taylei Williams.
The Tulare, Calif., native found a rhythm after that point as Southern Utah was held to two hits through the remainder of the contest while Mazon fanned seven.
Oregon State's bats had more pop on the backend of the doubleheader as junior Shelby Weeks (Tracy, Calif.) sent a two-out RBI double to left center that plated Burden, while freshman Hope Brandner (Vacaville, Calif.) cleared the bases with one swing behind a three-run smash to left field for a 4-1 OSU lead.
The Beavers ended up manufacturing a run in the bottom of the fifth behind clever baserunning from Weeks and senior McKenna Arriola (West Hills, Calif.) to keep the momentum in Oregon State's favor. Arriola started the look with a one-out liner to right field, stole second, and was moving to third on Weeks' bunt attempt during the following at bat.
Arriola rounded the bag and baited a throw from the first baseman after Weeks beat out the initial toss, but the defense was hamstrung as Weeks made a break for second to draw the throw from the catcher. Arriola followed up by swiping home and Weeks ended up on second after the dust had settled.
Brandner record her fourth RBI of the game after roping a single to left field that plated Weeks and set the score at 6-1 heading into the sixth.
The Thunderbirds got two runners on in the sixth and one in the seventh in an attempt to even the count, but Mazon provided the exclamation point by striking out her seventh of the game to end the contest.
The Beavers will face Louisiana Tech and No. 7/7 LSU for the second day of the challenge on Saturday, February 17. The contest against the Bulldogs will start at 2:30 p.m. CT (12:30 p.m. PT), while the game against the seventh-ranked Tigers will begin at 7:30 p.m. CT (5:30 p.m. PT).
For more information on the Oregon State softball team, visit OSUBeavers.com or follow the team @BeaverSoftball on Twitter
OREGON STATE ATHLETICS' EVERYDAY CHAMPIONS CULTURE
Through the power of sport, we help people discover and pursue their passions, talents and purpose in order to live a life of balance and positive contribution.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Nelson, Meehra (4-0)
L: Reaves, E. (0-2)
Batting:
2B: Everett, Alysha 1
RBI: Burden, Chance 1
SF: Burden, Chance 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Everett, Alysha 1
SB: Arriola, McKenna 2
CS: Garcia, Jessica 1
HBP: Arriola, McKenna 1
Batting:
2B: Hill, C. 1
Base Running:
SB: Felts, M. 1
HBP: Shepherd, K. 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
SS
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballUTL
/ SoftballC
/ Softball
OF
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