Softball goes 3-1 at Easton Classic
Oregon State snapped a 12-game winning streak, but started a new one getting three straight wins
Published: Monday, March 4, 2013
Updated: Monday, March 4, 2013 02:03
The Oregon State softball team saw a 12-game winning streak come to an end this weekend, but rebounded with three straight wins at the Easton Classic in Fullerton, Calif., to begin a new streak.
OSU won three games by eight runs or more, a fourth in extra innings and dropped one to Iowa for a 4-1 weekend that brought its overall record to 17-4 more than halfway through nonconference play.
The Beavers took care of Northwestern 12-1 in a game where they collected 13 hits, and senior pitcher Tina Andreana tossed a complete-game. They beat Cal Poly 11-2, collecting 16 hits as a team — including four-hit games, tying a school-record, by sophomore center fielder Dani Gilmore and senior shortstop Elizabeth Santana. They also beat Cal State Bakersfield soundly, 8-1, behind a complete-game two-hitter by senior pitcher Marina Demore, who improved her record to 12-2 with the win.
The lone game with any late drama was a 2-1 win over Iowa, when Santana drove in Gilmore with a single over a drawn-in infield in the bottom of the eighth inning. It was the Beavers’ second win in extra innings this season.
The Beavers’ lone loss came in their second game of the weekend, an early Saturday tilt with Iowa. The Beavers hung around until the seventh inning, when the Hawkeyes scored five runs to turn a 4-2 lead into a 9-2 lead. Demore was tagged with the loss, allowing nine runs (seven earned) despite surrendering just five hits.
Santana and Gilmore, OSU’s top two hitters a year ago, each had big weekends, raising their season averages to .357 and .255, respectively. Freshman Natalie Hampton continued her early-season tear, collecting her 10th home run of the season in the Beavers’ final game of the weekend. She leads the team in all three Triple Crown categories: average (.446), home runs (10) and RBI (31).
OSU will play four games in Fresno, Calif., this upcoming weekend, then host New Mexico for a doubleheader on March 14 before playing three more games in California to close out nonconference play. The Beavers open conference play at Arizona State on March 28.
Grady Garrett, sports reporter
is a member of the 
