BERKELEY, Calif. – The Oregon State softball team used five runs – answering two deficits – in the final two innings to take the series finale from 19th-rankedCalifornia, 6-5, on Sunday at Levine-Fricke Field.
Lici Campbell – a Bay Area native (Vallejo, Calif.) – led Oregon State with five runs batted in, including four in the final two innings.
Despite scoring the game’s first run, Oregon State (21-28, 9-15 Pac-12) saw the Golden Bears punch back with the next three to take the game’s biggest lead at two.
Quickly getting two in scoring position from a Madyson Clark single, an Eliana Gottlieb single and wild pitch, Oregon State saw its best position to get a run or two back from Cal in the sixth inning. Facing a full count after three consecutive fouled off pitches, Campbell clubbed the next pitch well over the centerfield wall to flip the game – and score – to make it 4-3.
With Oregon State looking to hold the game with the one-run advantage, the Golden Bears pounced on an OSU miscue and took the lead back – at 5-4 – on a bases-clearing double to centerfield.
Facing another deficit but keeping up the life from the sixth, the Beavers rattled off three straight singles to load the bases and threated California once more in the final frame. Campbell, fresh off the three-run longball, took the bases-on-balls to drive in Madison Simon to tie the game once more. Liking the second pitch she saw, Grace Messmer drove in the winning run on her fielder’s choice.
Heading out for the final inning of the game, Logan Hulon forced her third 1-2-3 frame to retire the Golden Bears one last time to seal the upset. Picking up the win, she went 7.0 innings, fanned five but gave up three Cal runs on five hits.
Campbell and Clark paced the Beaver offense on the afternoon as both of them connected twice in the hit column. Eliana Gottlieb, Messmer, Charity Sevaaetasi and Simon also each added a hit. Messmer complemented her hit with a seventh-inning RBI to push the Beavs ahead for the last time.
With the win, it marked the fifth ranked win in conference play following triumphs over No. 8 Stanford, No. 12 UCLA, No. 21 Arizona and No. 22 Oregon earlier in 2024 and the second one away from the comforts of Kelly Field.
Turning attention to postseason play, the Beavers – seeded eighth in the Pac-12 Tournament – will meet ninth-seeded Arizona State in Stanford, Calif., on Wednesday night. Action from The Farm is set for 7 p.m. and can be seen on Pac-12 Networks.
OUR MISSIONOregon State Athletics strives to Build Excellent Authentic Visionary Student-Athletes (Go BEAVS)
