CORVALLIS, Ore. - Seattle University softball (19-24, 5-5 WCC) trailed by as many as five runs before battling back late in the contest to defeat Oregon State (17-31, 5-8 WCC) 11-10 in nine innings at Kelly Field on Saturday night.
Junior Avari Morris led the charge, tying her career high and the program’s single game hits record with four hits in six at bats. Morris’ record ties 14 others with four hit performances, including one of her own in 2025. She ended the night with two runs and four putouts from left field.
Five Redhawks recorded double digit hit performances alongside Morris, with senior Ava Sin leading the group with two hits and 3 RBI in four at bats. Sin matched Morris with two runs while tallying the lone SU homer of the evening.
Senior Taylor Fitch posted two hits, two RBIs and two runs in five at bats. Graduate Jay Ross recorded two hits and an RBI while senior Brooklyn Jones matched her with two hits and an RBI single. Sophomore Abbie Fales rounded out the group with two hits, including a double, and one run.
Guiding from the circle and earning the start was junior Berkley Vance. Vance tossed 4.2 innings of the contest and faced 26 batters while striking out two. Freshman Kaia Galaviz earned the win after pitching 4.0 innings. She faced 16 batters and also struck out two, only allowing one run in that 4.0 innings of work.
Junior Sophia Kissling grabbed seven putouts from center field to secure a new career best to guide the Redhawk defense. Junior Karen Spadafora matched Morris and Jones with four putouts on the night.
The Redhawks combined for 17 hits, their 20th double digit hitting performance this season and second highest of the year to fourth highest in a single game in program history. They combined for a .405 batting average, while batting .526 (10-19) when facing two outs.
Oregon State took the lead first between the opening frames as the Redhawks combined for two hits in the first two innings. With two runners on and no outs, a RBI sac fly from Ross allowed Kissling to score the first SU run of the contest in the third.
The Beavers scored three in the bottom of fourth to lead SU by five, scoring on an error, sac fly and RBI double before the infield ended the inning. Seattle U came back with three runs of its own in the top of the fifth as Fitch and Sin kept the inning alive with a double and single respectively. With two runners on the corners, Spadafora recorded an RBI single to score Fitch before an OSU error allowed both Sin and Spadafora to score to pull within two. Oregon State pushed its lead to three with a solo shot homer in the bottom of the fifth.
The Redhawks saw their most fruitful inning in the top of the sixth, opening the frame with three straight singles. With no outs, Fitch reached first on a fielder’s choice as Kissling came in for the first run of the inning. Sin faced one out as she delivered her 3 RBI homer to give the Redhawks their first lead of the contest. A double from Fales kept the inning going as Jones scored Fales with her RBI single before the Beavers claimed the third out. OSU came back with two runs in the sixth to tie the game 9-all.
Morris led off the seventh with a double before a sac bunt from Ross moved Morris within 60 feet of getting the go-ahead run. With an out to play with, Fitch earned the RBI sac fly to give the Redhawks the 10-9 lead in the seventh. Oregon State came back with an RBI double to level the contest once more to force extra innings.
Both teams went three up, three down in the eighth before Morris struck with her fourth hit of the contest in the top of the ninth. Facing two outs, Ross reached first on another OSU error, which advanced Morris into scoring position. Facing two outs, Fitch sent out her RBI single to score Morris to give SU the 11-10 advantage. Fitch and Ross locked down the final three Oregon State batters to give the Redhawks the victory and put SU back in the win column.
Seattle U returns to Kelly Field for game two at 2 PM on Saturday, April 25.
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