Chirichigno Homers Twice, but Beavers Fall to ASU
TEMPE, Ariz. - Senior CJ Chirichigno homered twice, but is was not enough, as the Oregon State softball team fell 9-5 to No. 21 Arizona State Saturday afternoon at Farrington Stadium in Tempe, Ariz.
The outing was the second multi-homer game for Chirichigno this season, as she hit her third homer in the last two games.
Senior Dani Gilmore made her way into the Oregon State record book in the first inning, when she roped a single to right to become the 10th player in Oregon State history to reach the 200 hit plateau. Gilmore finished the day 2-for-3 with a walk and a double. She will aim to continue moving up the record book in the duration of her senior campaign, as she sits just three hits behind Brynnen Guthrie for ninth in school history.
Seven different Beavers hit in the game, as the team compiled a total of 10 hits in the contest. Freshman McKenna Arriola recorded a double, a run and an RBI on the evening, while junior Sammi Noland finished the day with a hit, a run and a pair of walks. Junior Mikela Manewa tallied a hit and a walk, and freshman Lovie Lopez ended the game with a hit and a run.
The Beavers drew first blood in the second inning, when Chirichigno ripped a monster shot that cleared the scoreboard in left field.
Arizona State bounced back in the bottom of the frame, scoring two runs before Lopez made an excellent throw from left to get the ASU runner at the plate for the third out of the inning.
The Beavers would respond to start the third inning. Lopez opened the inning with a single, before Manewa bunted her over to second. Arriola followed that up with a one-out double to level the score at two. A two-run homer would return the lead to the Sun Devils in the bottom of the frame.
Oregon State threatened in the top of the fourth, when Noland and freshman Alysha Everett both singled to put runners on the corners with two out, but the Beavers could not convert. The Sun Devils would pose a threat of their own in the bottom of the frame, but freshman pitcher Rainey Dyreson was able to shut down the rally to keep Arizona State off the board.
The Sun Devils would put another run on the board in the bottom of the fifth with a solo homer.
Chirichigno hit her second blast in the sixth inning, ripping a line drive over the fence in right-center to plate Noland and bring the Beavers within a run. Arizona State would go on to score four in the bottom of the sixth to stretch the edge to five. Oregon State scored one in the seventh, but it would not be enough, as the ASU took the win by four.
The Beavers and Sun Devils will close out their three-game series Sunday with a noon first pitch.
