Oregon State
Oregon
Softball Falls to Oregon, 6-1, in Series Opener
April 09, 2016 | Softball
CORVALLIS, Ore. – The Oregon State softball team fell to the No. 6/7-ranked Oregon Ducks, 6-1, on Friday at the OSU Softball Complex in the first game of the 2016 Civil War Series, presented by McDonald's, Spirit Mountain Casino, Pacific Source Health Plans and your Local Oregon Ford stores.
The Ducks (30-6, 8-2 Pac-12) only edged out the Beavers (24-10-1, 4-6 Pac-12) in hits by one (6-5), but manufactured runs through timely hitting as they scattered six runs over three separate scoring frames. Oregon tallied five RBI to none for Oregon State, walked four times compared to the Beavers' one and left one fewer runner on base (four LOB for Oregon, five LOB for OSU).
“That's the name of the game, getting the key hits when you need them,” Oregon State head coach Laura Berg said. “They did, and that's part of why they came out on top. You have to come out and get the key hits when runners are on base. We've got to be able to make the little plays. We didn't cover bases, we gave up free bags, gave up a run on a squeeze and didn't track down fly balls. You can't give a team like Oregon extra outs.”
Freshman right-hander Meehra Nelson (13-5) was charged with the loss in her start for Oregon State after allowing five runs on as many hits and two walks with six strikeouts in four innings pitched. Senior righty Bev Miller pitched effectively over the final three innings, holding the Ducks to one unearned run on one hit and two walks with three strikeouts.
Sophomore shortstop McKenna Arriola led Oregon State offensively, going 2-for-3 with a double. Each of redshirt junior first baseman Natalie Hampton, senior second baseman Mikela Manewa and freshman catcher Kayleen Shafer collected one hit. Manewa also drew a walk, while Hampton added a HBP.
Cheridan Hawkins (12-3) was the winning pitcher in a complete-game outing for Oregon. The southpaw tossed all seven innings, allowing one unearned run on five hits and a walk and 10 strikeouts.
Oregon State had an early opportunity to open the scoring in the bottom of the first inning, as each of Arriola and Hampton reached on singles. However, on Hampton's two-out single, Arriola was put out attempting to reach third base, ending the frame without a Beaver run.
“Any time you get the leadoff runner on, you want to be able to score them,” Berg said. “70 percent of the time that runner scores, so being unable to take advantage of that hurt us.”
Oregon opened the game with three unanswered runs before the Beavers' first run in the bottom of the third inning. The Ducks' Geri Ann Glasco led off with a walk in the top of the second and moved into scoring position on an illegal pitch. With two outs, Lauren Lindvall sent a single to center field to drive home Glasco and give Oregon a 1-0 lead.
The Ducks added their second run in the next inning on Danica Mercado solo home run down the left field line. Two batters later, Nikki Udria reached for Oregon on a walk, and with two outs, Glasco doubled to right center to plate her from first and extend the lead to 3-0.
A pair of Oregon errors helped Oregon State manufacture a run in the home half of the third frame. Shafer led off the frame with a single, and moved up to second on a fielding error on the play. On Arriola's next at-bat, Oregon second baseman Danica Mercado threw the ball high over first base, allowing pinch runner Riley Gregoire to score from second.
Oregon capped the scoring for Friday's game with three runs in the top of the fifth inning. Three straight singles to open the frame, capped by Nikki Udria's RBI knock, opening the scoring in the frame. A squeeze bunt laid down by Koral Costa allowed the Ducks' fifth run to score, while Udria accounted for the final run scored on a double steal.
The Civil War Series continues with game two on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. PT from the OSU Softball Complex. The series wraps up on Sunday, with first pitch set for 3 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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