Oregon State
Pittsburgh
Softball Races To 20th Win In 3-2 Victory Over Pittsburgh
March 09, 2012 | Softball
March 9, 2012
LAKEWOOD, Calif. - Elizabeth Santana tripled in a run and doubled home another and Paige Hall allowed only three hits in 5 1/3 innings of work, as the duo led the Oregon State softball team to another victory in the Long Beach State Invitational on Friday morning, 3-2, over Pittsburgh.
In just 25 total games, OSU has already claimed 20 wins, putting its record at a stout 20-5. In the process, the Beavers have built on their best start since 2006 and have reached the 20-win plateau in the third-fewest number of games in program history. The 2006 squad reached that mark in 22 games and the 1999 team did the same in 24.
Pittsburgh, playing in its first game of the tournament, got off to a good start when Maggie Sevilla took a 2-1 Beaver offering over the left-field fence to put the Panthers on top, 1-0.
That lead was short-lived, however, as the Beavers tied the game in the bottom of the first when Dani Gilmore walked and came around to score on Santana's triple, her second of the season.
OSU would grab the lead in the third when, with one away, Hannah Bouska singled up the middle and crossed the plate one batter later on Santana's double to right center.
Santana alertly advanced to third on a fundamentally-sound groundout to the right side by Desiree Beltran and the Beavers' small-ball worked when she was able to score on a passed ball with Paige Hall at the dish.
Oregon State would score no more, but the work of Hall (W, 7-1) and Marina Demore (SV, 2) in the circle made the three runs stand. Hall's 5 1/3 innings were a season-high and her seven wins this season already eclipse the six she had in 2011.
Demore came on with two outs in the sixth and runners on first and second, but calmly blew away the Pittsburgh batter with four pitches to strike her out swinging.
The Panthers put runners on the corners in the seventh with two away before Demore struck out their No. 4 hitter to end the game and earn the save.
Hall, Demore and the Oregon State defense forced Pittsburgh to strand a runner in scoring position in each of the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh innings.
The Beavers continue the Long Beach State Invite tomorrow with a pair of games against Michigan State (11:30 a.m.) and Notre Dame (2 p.m.). OSU has already played both teams this season, claiming an 11-6 victory over the Spartans on March 3 and a 3-2 win over the Fighting Irish on Feb. 18.
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