Oregon State
Stanford
OSU Softball Defeats Stanford, 9-1, Takes Series
April 03, 2016 | Softball
STANFORD, Calif. – Redshirt junior Natalie Hampton and sophomore left fielder Lovie Lopez combined to drive in seven RBI, while freshman right-hander Meehra Nelson struck out 11 as the Oregon State softball team defeated the Stanford Cardinal, 9-1, in five innings from Smith Family Stadium on Saturday night to clinch the series win.
Oregon State (23-9-1, 3-5 Pac-12) posted 12 hits to Stanford's (12-16, 0-5 Pac-12) two, marking the Beavers' second double-digit hit performance of the weekend. So far this weekend, the Beavers have outscored Stanford, 24-2, and have outhit the Cardinal, 22-4. The Cardinal struck out 11 times, while the Beavers were not struck out once.
“When we squared it up tonight, we hit the ball very well,” Oregon State head coach Laura Berg said. “There were times when we tried to do too much. When they realize that they don't have to do that and trust themselves, they're a pretty good hitting team.”
The Beavers and the Cardinal meet one more time for the series finale on Sunday, with first pitch set for noon PT.
Hampton's four RBI came off a grand slam, her ninth home run of the season. The Antelope, Calif. native has 45 RBI for the season, moving into a tie for the sixth-most RBI in a single season in Oregon State history. Hampton set the single season record with 50 RBI in 2013.
Lopez picked up her three RBI on 2-for-4 hitting, which included her 11th double of the season. Each of sophomore shortstop McKenna Arriola, redshirt junior designated player Christie Langlois and freshman catcher Kayleen Shafer also recorded two-hit performances. Shafer added an RBI to her line, while Arriola added a stolen base.
Freshman right-hander Meehra Nelson (12-4) pitched all five innings for Oregon State, earning the win by holding the Cardinal to one run on two hits and four walks with 11 strikeouts. Nelson's 11 strikeouts were the most by an Oregon State pitcher since Feb. 27, 2014, when Amanda Najdak rung up 11 against CSUN.
“Meehra was on tonight,” Berg said. “You could hear her pitches pop Kayleen Shafer's glove over and over. She did a good job of getting ahead – the only base hits came when she didn't get ahead. That tells her that she needs to continue to get ahead of these hitters.”
Haley Snyder (6-7) was charged with the loss for Stanford in her five-inning outing. Kylie Sorenson accounted for both Cardinal hits, driving in their only run on a solo homer.
Oregon State wasted no time in putting its first run on the board, needing only its first two hitters to open the scoring in the top of the first inning. Arriola led off with a single to left, moved to second on an illegal pitch and stole third base to begin Saturday's matchup. Lopez knocked her in on a groundout to the circle, giving the Beavers a 1-0 lead at the end of Saturday's opening frame.
The quick start to Saturday's matchup continued for OSU in the top of the second, where the Beavers added three more runs. Shelby Weeks led off the scoring frame with a walk, and moved into scoring position on a stolen base. The first run of the inning followed, as Shafer knocked her in on a single through the left side. Jessica Garcia joined her on base on a single through the opposite side, and Lopez drove in both on a double down the left field line to extend the Beavers' lead to 4-0.
The Beavers manufactured their fifth run off a bases-loaded situation in the top of the third inning. Singles by Langlois and Shafer as well as Weeks' second walk of the game loaded the bases with one out. Stanford got the second out on a fielder's choice - second base to home plate - but the Cardinal bobbled an exchange in the next at-bat and the lead runner scored to give the Beavers a 5-0 advantage.
Stanford cut the lead back to four in the home half of the third inning, picking up one run to make it a 5-1 game on a Kylie Sorenson solo home run.
The Beavers loaded the bases one more time in the top of the fifth to set up Hampton's no-doubt grand slam and put the Beavers in position for the run-rule victory at 9-1. Nelson struck out her 11th Cardinal of the game in the final frame, sealing Saturday's win and the series victory.
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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