OSU Outslugs UCSB and Fresno State, Sweep Day
FRESNO, Calif. – The Oregon State softball team (15-5) continued action at the Fresno State Louisville Slugger Bash Saturday, with games against UC Santa Barbara (5-14) and the Fresno State Bulldogs (13-5). The OSU bats were ready to go Saturday, scoring 30 runs between the two games. The Beavers put together 14 runs in the win over UCSB, with a final score of 14-5 and OSU had 16 runs as they defeated the Bulldogs 16-12 in the night game.
The Gauchos struck first in the game, putting together a three-run rally on three hits, one error and a walk.
While UCSB got on the scoreboard first, the Beavers quickly got the offense going. The team scored 13 unanswered runs combined between the second and third innings. The OSU bats started the second inning with an Alysha Everett single and put together a streak of five straight batters reaching base. A Mikela Manewa triple highlighted the inning as the Beavers scored four runs on four hits to take the lead at 4-3.
The Beavers continued the offense in the third inning, with CJ Chirichigno starting the inning with a double to right field and scored when Everett doubled to left. The team would send 15 batters to the plate by the end of the inning, scoring 9 runs on five hits, 1 error and 4 walks. After giving up the first three runs of the game the Beavers would go to the middle of the third inning with a 13-3 lead.
The Gauchos got two runs back in the bottom of the third, but the Beavers would add a 14th run in the top of the fourth, with Gilmore hitting a leadoff single and scoring on an Akamine double making it 14-5.
UCSB had two runners reach base in the bottom of the fifth, but Taylor Cotton came on to finish the game, getting two soft popups to end the inning and complete the 14-5 win for the Beavers.
Everett went 2-for-2, with Akamine going 2-for-3 with two RBI. Maneway went 1-for-2 with a triple and three walks while knocking in five runs.
Rainey Dyreson went 4.1 innings while scattering nine hits and allowing five runs. She walked four and struck out two while improving to 3-0 on the season. Cotton worked the last two outs to secure the win for OSU.
Before the game against Fresno State the Bulldogs held a ceremony honoring coach Laura Berg, a 4-time All-American and national champion during her time at Fresno State. Former coach Margie Wright was on hand to give Berg her jersey and then coach Berg threw out the first pitch.
The Beaver offense sent 10 batters to the plate in the top of the first, scoring five runs on four hits. Gilmore spearheaded the offense, drilling a 3-2 pitch well over the center field fence to give the Beavers a 2-0 lead, A Chirichigno double and singles from Everett and Lovie Lopez provided the other runs in the inning.
The Bulldogs got three runs back in the bottom of the inning, scoring three runs on two hits and one error, making the score 5-3 going into the bottom of the fourth inning.
The Beavers keep the scoring going in the second inning, with four singles in a row to start the inning. Lopez capped the inning, doubling to center field, knocking in two runs. The Beavers put up four runs on five hits in the inning, making the score 9-3 as they entered the bottom of the first.
Fresno State bats put up three runs in the second and another in the bottom of the third, making it 9-7 with the Beavers holding the lead.
Between the two teams in the fourth inning, 12 runs were scored on seven hits. Manewa hit her second home run of the weekend in the inning, knocking in Garcia and Lopez. The Bulldogs had two quick runs, with back-to-back solo-home-runs, and pushed across another three in the inning. Through the first four innings the two teams had scored 28 runs, but pitchers Bev Miller and Hannah Harris from the Bulldogs both calmed down, holding offenses in check the remainder of the games.
Miller went the distance, improving to 8-4 on the year. Three Beavers had three hits with Gilmore going 3-for-4, Chirichigno went 3-for-5 with three runs score and one RBI. Lopez went 3-for-5 while knocking in three runs.
The Beavers improve to 15-5 on the year and 4-0 on the weekend. They will return to the field Sunday, March 1 at 9 a.m. when they end the weekend with a game against Rutgers.
