Anthony's Walk-off Home Run Powers OSU Past OU

Thursday, February 25

Cathedral City, CA

12:30 PM

Oregon State

11-1

Oklahoma

7-3

Oklahoma

Oregon State

Photo by: Dave Nishitani/Oregon State Athletics

February 26, 2016 | Softball

Box Score

By: Athletic Communications

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. – Junior third baseman Madison Anthony delivered a walk-off, three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to lead the Oregon State softball team past the No. 12/11-ranked Oklahoma Sooners, 6-4, from Wrigley Field at the Big League Dreams Sports Park on Thursday.

With the score deadlocked at three after six innings, Oklahoma (7-3) took a 4-3 lead on one of the season's more unusual scoring plays. The Sooners' Lea Wodach, who homered in the second inning, sent a long fly ball down the left field line. Sophomore left fielder Lovie Lopez, who recorded a two-run shot of her own in the bottom of the third, gave chase and crashed into the wall in the left field corner. The ball, which fell just beyond Lopez's valiant diving attempt, was ruled fair in a controversial call and Wodach scored on an inside-the-park home run.

Now trailing 4-3, freshman catcher Kayleen Shafer set the tone for the comeback with a leadoff double down the left field line and advanced to third on a deep flyout from sophomore shortstop McKenna Arriola. With two outs in the frame, the Sooners walked Lopez to get to Anthony, but the decision backfired, as Anthony worked the count full before she delivered a three-run shot to left to hoist the Beavers to a 6-4 walkoff win.

“Madison just looked like she wasn't going to get beat,” Oregon State head coach Laura Berg said. “Our ladies showed a lot of guts and a lot of heart in today's game. There was a call that didn't quite go our way and they didn't let that phase them.”

Freshman right-hander Meehra Nelson (8-0) earned the win for Oregon State (11-1), dealing all seven innings while holding the Sooners to four runs (two earned) on seven hits and five walks with six strikeouts. The Beavers tallied all six of their runs off reigning National Freshman of the Year Paige Parker (3-2) on eight hits and a pair of walks. The Sooners' southpaw also finished her outing with six strikeouts.

All eight of Oregon State's hits went for extra bases, including five doubles, accounted for by a pair from each of Shafer and senior second baseman Mikela Manewa as well as one from freshman center fielder Jessica Garcia. In addition to the two aforementioned home runs, Arriola accounted for the remaining extra-base hit with the Beavers' third triple of the season.

“They did what they needed to do to get on base and be productive on offense,” Berg said. “We had doubles, triples and home runs galore today.”

One of Oklahoma's best scoring opportunities came in the top of the first, as the Sooners had a pair of runners on with one out after Sydney Romero led off with a double and Erin Miller walked. Fale Aviu gave the fifth pitch she saw a ride over the right field wall, but freshman right fielder Shelby Weeks reached up over the fence to rob a three-run home run, holding on as she tumbled to the other side.

“That was the turning point right there,” Berg said. “That's three runs. She came up big with that catch.”

The Beavers, which had led 2-1 after the early home runs from Lopez and the Sooners' Wodach, added their third run in the bottom of the fourth on a Shafer RBI double. Oklahoma tied the score at three each on a two-RBI double from Wodach, before her inside-the-park home run put the Sooners up, 4-3, and set up the dramatics in the bottom of the seventh inning.

The Oregon State softball team continues the Mary Nutter Classic on Friday with games against Northwestern at 10:30 a.m. PT and Loyola Marymount at 3 p.m. PT. The Beavers close the weekend with a 10 a.m. PT meeting with Bethune-Cookman and a 2:30 p.m. PT matchup with New Mexico State on Saturday.

For more information on the Oregon State softball team, follow the club's official Twitter account at Twitter.com/OregonStateSB, by Facebook at Facebook.com/OregonStateSB or on Instagram at Instagram.com/OregonStateSB.

About OSU Athletics: The mission of the OSU Department of Athletics is to provide opportunities to young people and develop leaders through a tradition of academic and athletic achievement in a progressive, inclusive environment of mutual respect.