The sound of the bat hitting balls will be ringing in the minds of the Clackamas Community College Cougars, as Oregon State takes the 25-2 matinee win at Kelly Field on Friday.
The game marks the third of five fall ball games scheduled for the Beavers, a tradition that allows players to hone skills and come together as a team in a more relaxed environment ahead of the spring season.
This is especially important for incoming freshmen and transfer students new to the team.
“We have half the team returning and half the team is new,” fifth-year infielder Lici Campbell said. “I want to welcome them to our softball team, our culture, everything. Getting meshed and unified is (very important).”
The Beavers have ten freshmen along with four transfer students joining the 2025-26 roster. The fall ball preseason period allows for these players to get acquainted with the team, and for the freshmen, the intensity of college competition.
“I want to shout out my new freshmen in the infield, Alliyah (Rodriguez) and Cameron Gordon,” Campbell said. “They’re the perfect pieces for this year’s infield…they make a huge difference already.”
Throughout the game, positions were switched up and rearranged, allowing for opportunities for the newcomers to shine.
The Beavers kept the Cougars off the base until the second and scoreless until the fourth inning with key plays coming from the freshman infielders.
Freshman Hayden Milley was the starting pitcher for the game, and recorded three strikeouts in a row to end the first half of the first inning.
While the Cougars finally got a run in the fourth and another in the sixth, the Beavers consistently recorded strikeouts and forced weak contact to keep the Cougars off the base.
There were several hits that continued to lengthen the Beaver’s lead, notably the home runs by Jaeya Butler. Despite a stand-out performance from the Cougar shortstop, the Beavers ended the game with 25 runs and zero scoreless innings.
The game effectively ended after the tenth inning after the Beaver pitcher recorded another 1-2-3 inning, all by the K, ending the game only allowing the two runs.
Standout hitter Madison Weir emphasized the importance of team togetherness ahead of the spring season.
“I feel like the biggest (takeaway from the game) is gelling together as a team and understanding (each other), in a place where we can make mistakes,” Weir said. “We were hitting a bunch of home runs and piecing up the ball, which is really good. I’m excited to see and continue for the whole season.”
The Beavers will be back at Kelly Field to take on Mount Hood Community College, which will take place at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 19.
