Brianne McGowan Strikes Out 11 Batters As No. 8 Softball Upsets No. 6 Stanford, 4-0
The Beaver (37-8; 9-5 Pac-10) victory snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Cardinal (34-12; 7-8 Pac-10) in
“It was important for us to get two out of the three games this weekend,” said OSU head coach . “Brianne (McGowan) threw extremely well and we swung the bat aggressively.”
The game shaped up to be a pitcher’s dual from the start between McGowan (23-4) and Stanford’s Missy Penna (18-7).
OSU got runners aboard in each of the first three innings, but couldn’t get any runs across the plate.
After three perfect innings, Jackie Rinehart’s slow chopper to third base broke-up McGowan’s no-hitter with one-out in the top of the fourth and Lauren Lappin followed with a blooper to right field, but McGowan picked up her sixth strikeout of the game and Beaver third baseman made a diving grab of a line-drive to keep the contest scoreless.
The Beavers took advantage of three hits and a leadoff walk to score a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth. OSU got on the board when freshman pinch hitter singled to center field to score pinch runner . , who had singled earlier in the inning, was driven in by a single from to left.
OSU cushioned its lead to 4-0 when blasted her second home run in as many games, with a 2-run shot over the left field fence in the bottom of the fifth. The long ball was the 31st of Allen’s career – ranking in third place in the Beaver all-time record book.
The Cardinal looked to make things interesting in the seventh by loading the bases with no one out, but McGowan retired three straight Cardinal batters on strikeouts to end the game.
McGowan’s 11 strikeouts on the day improved her career total to 613 – just three other pitchers in
GAME RESULTS:
No. 6 Stanford – 000 000 0 – 0 3 0
No. 8
McGowan and Allen (OSU), Penna and Howe (STAN). Win – McGowan (23-4). Loss – Penna (18-7). HR – Allen (OSU). 2B – McGowan (OSU).
