WORLD SERIES BOUND!!! - No. 7 Softball Tops No. 6 California, 1-0

Corvallis, OR – The No. 7 ranked Oregon State softball team posted a 1-0 victory over No. 6 ranked University of California in Sunday’s NCAA Super Regional championship game. With the victory, the Beavers earn their first-ever Women’s College World Series berth.

In similar fashion to the opening game of the day, Oregon State (43-14) took an early advantage. Three straight singles by , and to open the contest and a sacrifice fly to center field from senior gave Oregon State a 1-0 edge that would prove to be the difference in the game.

The 1-0 lead was all that junior pitcher (29-7) needed to work with, as the 6-2 hurler dominated in the circle and tossed a no-hitter until a one-out single by Chloe Kloezman in the top of the fifth.

The Bears (48-14) got a runner on base in both the sixth and seventh innings but Oregon State’s defense held fast and kept Cal from securing an eighth straight trip to the World Series.

Oregon State turned a crucial 5-4-3 double play after Emily Friedman’s lead-off seventh inning single and McGowan forced Kloezman to line-out to Longfellow at shortstop to give the Beavers the win.

“It was great to see these athletes take hold of a goal and go for it,” said OSU 12^th year head coach . “They were absolutely determined, it was going to be everything we had and go to Oklahoma City - it was just phenomenal.”

McGowan (29-7) finished with nine strikeouts and earned her second shutout of the day and 10^th of the season.

2006 Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year Kristina Thorson (36-10) had eight strikeouts in the final game of her collegiate career.

Oregon State will face No. 3 ranked University of Arizona (49-10) in the WCWS opening round on Thursday, June 1 in Oklahoma City, OK. First-pitch is scheduled for 10 a.m. PDT with the game televised by ESPN2.

Corvallis/Albany radio station KTHH (990 AM) will air all of Oregon State’s games from Oklahoma City with Jon Warren making the call.

Four Pacific-10 Conference teams reached the eight-team WCWS field – Oregon State, Arizona, Arizona State, UCLA – Texas, Tennessee, Alabama and Northwestern also qualified.

Tickets can be purchased through the Oklahoma City All Sports Association by calling 405-236-5000.

GAME RESULTS:

No. 6 California – 000 000 0 – 0 2 1
No. 7 Oregon State – 100 000 x – 1 6 0

McGowan and Allen (OSU), Thorson and Woods (CAL). Win – McGowan (29-7). Loss – Thorson (36-10).