OSU Edged by No. 17 California, 3-1
BERKELEY, Calif. – The Oregon State softball team (22-10, 3-4) dropped the first game of the weekend series in the Bay Area against No. 17 California (25-6, 3-4) Friday afternoon, 3-1. The two run game had only 12 hits between the two teams.
The Golden Bears got on the board first, scoring two runs in the bottom of the second. California strung together a walk and a double to score the first run of the inning and pushed the second across with a single to take the 2-0 lead.
Sammi Noland started the fourth inning with a double and advanced to third on the next play. CJ Chirichigno drove in Noland on the following play with a sacrifice fly to pull OSU within a run at 2-1.
California scored another run in the bottom of the fifth, piecing together two singles and taking advantage of an error. The Bears took a 3-1 lead into the sixth inning, a score that would hold for the rest of the game.
Bev Miller went the distance in the circle for the Beavers with her record falling to 14-7. Miller scattered seven hits while allowing two earned runs, striking out four and walking one. Miller also had an 11-2 groundout to flyout rate and earned her 18th complete game of the season.
McKenna Arriola went 2-for-3 in the game, improving her season batting average to .307. Chirichigno drove in her 22nd run of the season while Noland scored her 25th run of 2015.
The Beavers return to the field tomorrow, Saturday, March 28 at 1 p.m. when they continue the weekend series against the No. 17 California Golden Bears.
