Beavers Sink Pirates, 8-5
HONOLULU, Hawaii – The Oregon State softball team (19-6) finished action at the Outrigger Resort Spring Fling Tournament with an afternoon game against the East Carolina Pirates (7-14). The Beavers put together 15 hits, second highest total for a game this year, and took the game 8-5 for the second win against ECU on the week.
The Beavers had the bats going early, with five hits in the first seven batters of the game. Mikela Manewa doubled to start the inning and advanced to third on an infield single from McKenna Arriola. Manewa scored the first run when Dani Gilmore hit a sacrifice fly to center. The Beavers finished the inning with four runs on six hits and a key error from the Pirates.
The Pirates cut the lead by one in the bottom of the first. ECU had a walk and two singles to load the bases followed by a sacrifice fly. On the next play Garcia made an outstanding grab and throw to first to get the last out of the inning and limit the Pirates to the lone run.
The Pirates got two more runs in the bottom of the second, putting together three hits and a walk. After the first batter flew out to right field three straight singles scored a run and put runners at second and third. ECU scored the second run on the next play with a close play at the plate, making it two runs in the inning and putting the score at 4-3 for the game.
East Carolina tied the game up in the bottom of the third, using a leadoff double and a single later in the inning to push the runner home and make the score 4-4.
OSU retook the lead in the top of the fourth inning, starting with a one-out single from Arriola. Gilmore doubled on the next pitch to put runners on second and third. Akamine came through with a sacrifice fly, scoring Arriola and giving the Beavers the lead at 5-4.
Sammi Noland gave the Beavers another run in the top of the fifth, blasting a leadoff home run that stayed just fair down the left field line. It was her team leading sixth home run of the season.
The Pirates got a run back in the bottom of the fifth after a runner reached on an error and came around to score later in the inning. Through five innings the Beavers held a 6-5 lead.
Arriola added insurance runs in the top of the seventh, after Manewa had a leadoff double. Arriola took a 2-1 pitch and put it over the fence in centerfield for her second home run of the season.
Bev Miller finished the Pirates off in the bottom of the inning, putting them down in order. Miller improved to 11-5 on the year, going the distance for the win. She scattered 10 hits while allowing four earned runs.
Arriola had a season high four hits, while scoring three runs and driving in two. Manewa went 2-for-5 from the leadoff spot, scoring two runs. Hannah Akamine went 2-for-3, improving her season batting average to .354. Noland went 2-for-5, scoring a pair while also driving in two. Noland leads the team with six home runs and 27 RBI, while her slugging percentage of .675 sits second.
The Beavers will return to the field when they start Pac-12 play with a trip south to Eugene, Oregon for a series against the No. 2 Oregon Ducks. The series will begin Friday March, 13 and run through the weekend.
