Oregon State softball played a thriller with the Seattle University RedHawks coming out on top with a narrow 11–10 win after two extra innings. The Redhawks overcame multiple deficits and secured the win with a walk-off hit in the ninth inning on Friday night at Kelly Field.
Oregon State took control early with a two-run home run from Lici Campbell in the first inning. The Beavers added runs in the second and broke the game open in the fourth to lead 6–1.
Seattle U began to shift momentum in the fifth inning. Taking advantage of errors, the Redhawks scored three runs to cut the deficit 6–4.
Oregon State responded quickly with a home run from Morgan Howey. Which pushed the lead back to 7–4 and kept Seattle U under pressure.
The turning point came in the sixth inning when the Beavers gave up five runs. Ava Sin’s three-run home run gave the Redhawks their first lead of the game.
Oregon State answered immediately in the bottom of the sixth. A two-run double from Howey tied the game at 9–9 and kept the contest even.
Seattle U regained the lead in the seventh on a sacrifice fly to make it 10–9. Oregon State once again responded, tying the game 10–10 on an RBI double by Jaeya Butler.
The game remained tied heading into the ninth inning as both teams held firm. Neither side could break through until Seattle U’s final at-bat.
Taylor Fitch delivered the game-winning hit with a single to center field. The walk-off RBI secured an 11–10 win for Seattle University.
Seattle U was led by Avari Morris, who had four hits and scored twice. Ava Sin added three RBIs, and Fitch finished with the deciding hit.
Oregon State totaled 13 hits, with Howey and Campbell leading the offense. Despite a strong start, the Beavers could not hold off Seattle U’s late rally.
Head Coach Laura Berg reflected on both the positives and areas for improvement. “I was really happy with how we hit the ball, and we left a lot of people on base, but we’ve got to do a better job of taking care of the ball and making fewer errors,” she said.
She emphasized that defensive consistency remains a key concern moving forward. “It’s kind of our Achilles’ heel right now, just not taking care of the ball. We can’t give up free bases.”
Berg remained optimistic about the team’s potential. “We look forward to hitting the ball the way we are and taking care of it, and we can make sure we win.”
Oregon State will look to even the series against Seattle University, Saturday at Kelley Field.
