While many eyes were focused on the OSU baseball team and their quest for history this weekend, another OSU program was making history of their own. The Oregon State softball team beat the #8 UCLA Bruins on Thursday and Saturday to take 2 of 3 in the series, the first time OSU has taken a series from the Bruins.
Game 1
Oregon State made it known very early that this series was not going to be the walk in the park for UCLA that many thought it would be. The Beaver bats got to work early and often putting up 4 run innings in the 3rd and the 4th to take an 8-0 mercy-rule shortened victory. The game marked the first time the Beavers beat the Bruins via the mercy rule in program history. The shutout victory marked the 8th win of the season for OSU pitcher Taylor Cotton.
Game 2
UCLA controlled the second game much of the afternoon, leading 7-0 in the 4th inning before OSU fought their way back. The Beavs notched a run in 4th, another in the 5th and 3 in the 6th to pull within two of the Bruins heading to the 7th. A scoreless inning from UCLA set OSU up with a chance to complete the comeback. The Beavs were able to load the bases in the 7th with a pair of hits and walk, but some clutch pitching from UCLA’s Rachel Garcia closed the door on OSU’s rally, as the Bruins claimed a 7-5 victory.
Game 3
Walk-offs have been pretty common over at Goss stadium this season, but Saturday saw the OSU Softball Complex host one of it’s own. The rubber match of the three game set was a back and forth affair that saw several lead changes before setting up an epic 7th inning comeback for the Beavs. OSU entered the final frame down 5-4 but a single by Jessica Garcia, a sac bunt by McKenna Arriola and an RBI from Shelby Weeks tied the game up at 5. With one out UCLA intentionally walked Alysha Everett to put runners on the corners for Oregon State’s Natalie Hampton... Watch what happened next.
HISTORY IS MADE! We take the series against UCLA for the first time in program history after @natttty_nattt walks off!! #GoBeavs pic.twitter.com/0uPprZ9wwr
— Oregon St. Softball (@BeaverSoftball) April 15, 2017
The walk off victory moved OSU to 21-18 overall and 4-8 in conference. The Beavs host Portland State on Tuesday before opening a three game home set versus Stanford on Friday.