Beavers Celebrate 2015 Senior Day
CORVALLIS - Kori Nishitomi celebrated her Senior Day with her first triple of the season, but the Oregon State softball team could not overcome No. 7 UCLA, as the Bruins took a 6-2 victory Monday afternoon at the OSU Softball Complex.
Monday’s game served as Senior Day for five Beavers playing their final home game, as Oregon State honored Dani Gilmore, CJ Chirichigno, Nishitomi, Hannah Akamine and Melanie Dembinski.
The triple was the second of Nishitomi’s Oregon State (25-23, 5-16 Pac-12) career. She would also finish the day with a run scored. Junior Mikela Manewa tallied two hits, a run and an RBI, while Akamine notched a hit in her final game at the OSU Softball Complex.
Freshman Alysha Everett tallied a hit for the third consecutive game. Gilmore recorded the 123rd walk of her illustrious career, to go along with a sixth-inning RBI.
UCLA (41-8, 15-3) scored a run in the top of the first inning, and added two more in the third to take an early 3-0 lead. Oregon State would strike back in the bottom of the third. Nishitomi started things off with a triple to left, before Manewa brought her home with a single through the right side.
It looked like the Bruins might get on the board again in the 4th, when they loaded the bases, but sophomore pitcher Taylor Cotton came in and recorded a crucial out to silence the threat. Gilmore would walk to begin the bottom of the frame, but she was stranded. UCLA would add three more runs on a homer in the fifth to stretch its advantage to 6-1.
Oregon State got a run back in the bottom of the sixth. Manewa started the inning off with a single, before Everett advanced her to third on a base hit to center. Gilmore would earn an RBI a fielder’s choice that plated Manewa, as the Beavers moved within four. Oregon State could not get on the board again, however, as UCLA took the win.
The Beavers hit the road this week, when they head north for a three game series against Washington. The opening game of the weekend will be played Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
