Oregon State
17-4-1
Grand Canyon
18-8
No. 24 OSU Softball Downs Grand Canyon, 9-4
March 11, 2016 | Softball
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. – The 24th-ranked Oregon State softball team opened this weekend's Matador Classic with a win, using a six-run second inning to defeat the Grand Canyon Antelopes, 9-4, on Friday at the Matador Diamond.
Oregon State (17-4-1) was originally scheduled to play two games on Friday, but the Beavers' 3:30 p.m. PT matchup with CSUN was cancelled due to the persistence of rainy conditions.
Senior right-hander Bev Miller (7-2) picked up the win in a complete-game outing, holding the Antelopes (18-8) to four runs (three earned) off seven hits and six walks with a pair of strikeouts. Bailey Bergman (5-3) was charged with the loss after allowing six runs (three earned) on five hits and two walks in one inning pitched.
Redshirt junior designated player Natalie Hampton was 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles, a walk and an RBI. Senior second baseman Mikela Manewa drove in a pair of runs on a double and two walks. Sophomore shortstop McKenna Arriola reached base three times from the leadoff spot, each time on a walk, while freshman right fielder Shelby Weeks was 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored.
“We hit the ball well and walked nine times, so we're not swinging at balls, we're swinging at strikes,” Oregon State head coach Laura Berg said. “We're taking good at-bats – I'm very happy about that. I'm not happy with our errors and the amount of walks we gave up. Those are the types of things we will have to get under control heading into Pac-12 play.”
After the game opened with a scoreless first inning, Oregon State exploded for six runs in the bottom of the second. Back-to-back doubles to lead off the frame from Hampton and Manewa opened the scoring before five more Beavers reached safely before recording an out. Over that span, Madison Anthony drove in another run on a single to left, and Kayleen Shafer doubled to right to bring in the inning's third run. On the play, Weeks added another run as she crossed home on a throwing error from right field.
Following Shafer's double, Jessica Garcia and Arriola walked to load the bases for Alysha Everett, who reached on a fielding error that also allowed Shafer to score from third. With the bases still loaded, Manewa followed with a walk to force in another run and stretch the Oregon State lead to 6-0 after two innings.
Grand Canyon's four runs came in a pair of two-run frames – the top of the fourth and sixth innings. Grand Canyon's first two runs came on a home run in the top of the fourth from Briielle Breland, who also added an RBI on a single up the middle in the sixth. Pinch hitter Niki Gonzalez added the Antelopes' fourth run on an RBI groundout in that frame.
The Beavers added a run in each of the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. Hampton drove in the first of the latter three runs in the fourth, set up by a leadoff walk and stolen base by Arriola. Oregon State had the opportunity to put up multiple runs in the fifth with the bases loaded and one out, but ended up with just the single run on a Lovie Lopez sacrifice fly.
With runners on first and second in the sixth inning, Oregon State picked up its final run on a GCU error as a misplay by the shortstop allowed a ball put in play by Shafer to rest in the left-center gap and allow the lead runner to score. Miller held the Antelopes off the board in the top of the seventh inning, finishing out the complete-game outing to seal the Beaver win.
The Oregon State softball team continues the Matador Classic on Saturday with a pair of afternoon matchups, beginning with a game against the Toledo Rockets at 1:10 p.m. PT. The Beavers bookend the day with a game against CSUN at 3:30 p.m. PT.
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.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Miller, Bev (7-2)
L: Bergman, B (5-3)
Batting:
HR: Breland, B 1
RBI: Breland, B 3 ; Gonzalez, D 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Smith, Si 1 ; Dowdle, M 2 ; Breland, B 1
Batting:
2B: Hampton, Natalie 2 ; Manewa, Mikela 1 ; Shafer, Kayleen 1
RBI: Lopez, Lovie 1 ; Everett, Alysha 1 ; Hampton, Natalie 1 ; Manewa, Mikela 2 ; Anthony, Madison 1 ; Shafer, Kayleen 1
SH: Garcia, Jessica 1
SF: Lopez, Lovie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Arriola, McKenna 1 ; Hampton, Natalie 1 ; Sass, Michelle 1 ; Manewa, Mikela 1 ; Anthony, Madison 1 ; Weeks, Shelby 2 ; Shafer, Kayleen 1 ; Garcia, Jessica 1
SB: Arriola, McKenna 1 ; Garcia, Jessica 1
HBP: Shafer, Kayleen 1
