Feb. 18, 2006
LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- No. 14 Oregon State scored runs in each of the first four innings Saturday at the Louisville Slugger Desert Classic, defeating No. 12 Northwestern, 6-2, in the second meeting between the teams this year.
In the 2006 season opener for both teams last weekend at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz., the Wildcats pitched 1-0 shutout victory over the Beavers.
With Saturday's loss, Northwestern falls to 5-3 on the year, while Oregon State improves to 7-2.
For the second time in the tournament, freshman Tammy Williams (El Dorado Springs, Mo./Osceola) led off the game with a double, this one rolling through the right-centerfield gap to the fence. Junior Katie Logan (Tempe, Ariz./Corona del Sol) followed with a single deep up the middle to second base, advancing Williams to third.
With one out, the Wildcats tried an unsuccessful squeeze play, and Oregon State was able to escape the inning unharmed.
In the bottom half of the first, Northwestern starter Courtnay Foster (Tucson, Ariz./Sahuaro) struck out the leadoff batter, Cambria Mirando, who took off for first on a dropped third strike. The throw to first sailed wide of the bag and into right field, where it skipped by the fielder all the way to the fence. Miranda rounded the bases and scored on the two-error play to give the Beavers a 1-0 lead.
Oregon State added two more in the bottom of the second inning on a two-run home run to left field. With one out, the Beavers got a single and Foster hit a batter before being replaced in the circle by junior Eileen Canney (Paradise, Calif./Paradise). Canney got one out on a fielder's choice, but another Oregon State run scored on a two-out single for a 4-0 Beaver lead.
Northwestern got one back in the top of the third. Williams led off with her second double of the game into left field, then advanced to third one out later on a Garland Cooper (Mission Viejo, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic) groundout. Senior Kristen Amegin (West Sacramento, Calif./Elk Grove) then lined a single off the fence in right field to score Williams to make it a 4-1 ballgame.
Oregon State answered right back with single runs in the third and fourth to take a five-run lead, 6-1.
In the top of the fifth, Logan led off with a double over the head of the leftfielder. Cooper then drew a walk, prompting Oregon State to replace starter Ta'Tyana McElroy with Brianne McGowan, who promptly hit Amegin with a pitch to load the bases.
Senior Jamie Dotson (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill) then hit a deep fly ball to left field that was caught for a sacrifice fly, scoring Logan from third to make the score 6-2.
In the top of the seventh, Cooper hit a one-out double off the wall in left center. Amegin followed with a single into right field, advancing Cooper to third, but no runs would come of the situation.
Foster (4-2) was tagged with the loss for Northwestern. McElroy earned the win for Oregon State.
Williams, Logan and Amegin all recorded two hits each in the game for Northwestern. The Wildcats return to action at 8 p.m. CT tonight, Saturday, Feb. 18 against No. 8 California.