Home Runs Lift No. 15 Softball To 8-5 Victory Over No. 16 Stanford

Palo Alto, CA – Freshman outfielder belted a fourth inning grand slam home run and sophomore added a 2-run shot to lift No. 15 ranked Oregon State to an 8-5 victory over No. 16 ranked Stanford in Friday night’s Pac-10 softball game.

Stanford (33-18-1; 7-12-1 Pac-10) took a 1-0 lead in the opening inning after capitalizing on two singles and a pair of walks, allowing Tricia Aggabao to score.

Oregon State (38-21; 9-11 Pac-10) got runners on base in each of the first three innings but couldn’t push any runs across the plate.

The Beavers finally broke through in the top of the fourth, using a Stanford error and back-to-back singles by and to load the bases. Ford then stepped to the plate and sent a full-count pitch over the 220-mark in straightaway center field to give the Beavers a 4-1 edge. The home run was the second of the season for the freshman from Chula Vista, CA.

The Cardinal used a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning to get one run back, but a single by OSU’s to open the fifth set the stage for Young to belt her seventh home run of the year with a 2-run shot over the left field fence.

OSU then extended its advantage to 7-2 when Ford hit her first career triple with a RBI shot to right-center field.

Stanford rallied back with three runs on five hits in the bottom of the sixth inning to close within 7-5.

Galvan gave the Beavers a little more breathing room in the top of the seventh when she belted her seventh double of the season with a two-out RBI shot to center field.

OSU reliever (22-12) worked her way out of a jam in the bottom of the seventh as the Beavers turned their 26^th double play of the season and McGowan closed the game with a strikeout to secure the victory.

Four Beaver batters recorded multiple hits on the night as Miranda, Ford, Galvan, and had two hits each. Ford also drove in five runs for the Beavers.

With the victory, Oregon State clinched a fifth place finish in the Pac-10 race. The Beavers also finished fifth in the conference standings during the 2006 campaign.

The Beavers and Cardinal conclude the regular season at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

GAME RESULTS:

No. 15 Oregon State – 000 430 0 – 8 11 0
No. 16 Stanford – 100 103 0 – 5 13 1

McElroy, McGowan (4) and Black, Ewing (6) (OSU), McCullough and Neill (STAN). Win – McGowan (22-12). Loss – McCullough (10-8). HR – Ford (OSU), Young (OSU). 3B – Ford (OSU). 2B – Galvan (OSU), Neill (STAN).