Beavers tack on one more win towards the possibility of a postseason

After dropping three games to Oregon last weekend and with three more ranked opponents coming up on the schedule, the Oregon State softball team needed to avoid a sweep by UCLA this weekend to solidify their postseason hopes.

Though the Beavers lost the last two games of the series, they picked up an 8-2 win in the first game Friday April 15 against the No. 13 Bruins at Easton Stadium in Los Angeles.

OSU has already secured a winning record and currently sits at 26-14 on the season. With nine games left in the regular season, the Beavers are on pace to get back to postseason play for the first time since 2013.

The Beavers earned the series-opening win over UCLA behind 13 hits and the pitcher’s circle; senior Pitcher Beverly Miller went 3 ⅓ innings and freshman Meehra Nelson finished the last 3 ⅔, earning the win while allowing just two hits and no runs. Nelson is now 15-6 on the season. Miller gave up two runs and six hits while OSU easily outpaced the Bruins in the batter’s box.

Sophomore shortstop McKenna Arriola went 3-for-4 at the plate with one run and a run batted in. Sophomore first baseman Alysha Everett also went 3-for-4 on Friday and chipped in a pair of RBIs. Freshman outfielder Shelby Weeks recorded two hits in the team’s win.

Redshirt junior designated player Natalie Hampton added another RBI during the Beaver’s Friday win. She only needs three more RBIs to tie her own single-season record of 50 that she set during her freshman campaign in 2013.

UCLA couldn’t find a rhythm in the pitcher’s circle, using three different pitchers that each gave up at least two earned runs.

After the 8-2 win on Friday, Oregon State lost 7-5 on Saturday and 8-0 on Sunday.

OSU couldn’t get the same offensive success in the final two games, especially on Sunday when the Beavers totaled just three hits, two walks and no runs.

“We just didn’t play well (Sunday),” Oregon State head coach Laura Berg said. “For whatever reason, we just don’t play well in the Sunday game of different series. Whatever the reason is, we need to figure it out and make sure that doesn’t happen anymore.”

Miller was plagued on Sunday April 17 for five earned runs in 3 ⅔ innings, giving her the loss and putting her at 10-8 on the year.

On the weekend, Arriola went 4-for-10 with two RBIs and Everett went 5-for-9 with two RBIs.

This weekend the Beavers return home for the Dam Cancer Series to take on No. 9 Washington at the OSU Softball Complex, with the first game starting at 1 p.m. on Friday April 22 in Corvallis.