"We have to learn how to play seven innings and 21 outs," said head coach Dan Powers. "Right now we are just learning how to win and we let this one get away from us. Overall the team is improving and getting better each week. We showed that we could keep pace with a Pac-10 opponent today and hopefully this will carry through the rest of the weekend."
After giving up a leadoff single to OSU's Hannah Bouska, the Redhawks' catcher Jessica Amador (Whittier, Calif.) would throw Bouska out during Lea Cavestany's ensuing at bat. Starting SU pitcher Jessica Ulrich (Lewiston, Idaho) kept the bases cleared striking Cavestany out. Seattle U would get out of the first inning with a line drive to Allegra Wilde (Kennewick, Wash.) to keep Oregon State scoreless early.
In the bottom of the first, freshman Brianna Guerrero (Buena Park, Calif.) was the Redhawks first base runner, as she took a one out walk. She would be advanced by Natalie Leyland's (Richland, Wash.) infield single to the pitcher. Despite their efforts to get runners on base, SU was unable to keep the inning alive and get on the board.
In the top of the third, the Beaver offense poised their largest threat to score first. Nikki Chandler would lead things off with a single to left field, was advanced on a Maggie Doremus sacrifice bunt and reached third on a passed ball. Oregon State would keep the inning alive, as they had consecutive base runners with two outs. With the bases loaded, Ally Kutz flied out to center field to close out the inning and keep things scoreless.
In the bottom of the sixth, Sarah Petosa (Auburn, Wash.) slammed a single right up the middle. It would hit the Beaver pitcher Paige Hall, pausing play momentarily, before Guerrero came to the plate. Guerrero found a perfect pitch that she hit over of the left center wall to give the Redhawks a 2-0 lead.
Guerrero led the Redhawks in the game, going 1-for-2, with two RBIs, two walks and a run.
"Brianna had a solid outing for us. She read her home run pitch perfectly and was a key offensive contributor for us today," commented Powers.
OSU's Erin Guzy led off the seventh with a double to the left side. The Redhawks left fielder Petosa chased the ball down and reached out for it, but the ball was just out of her reach and grazed past her extended glove. Mary Claire Brenner pinch hit in OSU's next at bat, sending a base hit over second baseman Guerrero's head to put runners on the corners with no outs.
For the SU, Kelli Demianew (Pendleton, Ore.) came in to take over pitching duties for Ulrich.
In 6.0 innings, Ulrich struck out three, while scattering five hits in 25 batters faced. She would be responsible for Oregon State's first two runs of the game.
In relief, Demianew would face Oregon State's pinch hitter Desiree Beltran, who hit an RBI single to get the Beavers on the board. Following Beltran's RBI single, Doremus would reach on a fielding error by Demianew resulting in an unearned OSU run. After evening the score, Demianew would get out of the jam with three consecutive outs.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Redhawk offense was unable to get around the bases one last time sending the game into extra innings.
Due the game being part of a tournament, the international tiebreaker rule was employed. With a runner on second, Kutz advanced her to third and Audrey Roderfeld gave OSU their first lead of the game, 3-2.
Oregon State opened things up even more, as Roderfeld scored on an error by SU's catcher Amador. The Beavers made it a three-run inning, behind a final Chandler RBI single.
With an out and Demianew placed on second due to the tiebreaker rule, Katie Gould (Medford, Ore.) sailed the ball to left field to lead off the bottom of the eighth. The Beaver left fielder would drop the ball, committing an error allowing Demianew to reach third and Gould to reach second.
Guerrero kept the inning alive with a two out walk, loading the bases. Leyland followed, but was struck out swinging to conclude the game.
The Beavers tallied nine hits to SU's three.
The Redhawks will continue Husky Softball Classic action on Saturday, Mar. 12, with a pair of games. Seattle U will open the day with PCSC Mountain Division rival Portland State in a 2 p.m. game and close things out with tournament-host No. 5 Washington in a 7:30 p.m. game.