March 17, 2007

Box Score

CORVALLIS, Ore. - Utah State softball bounced back from a disappointing loss earlier in the day to upset 15th-ranked Oregon State, 2-0, Saturday afternoon in the Cascade Clash Invitational at a sundrenched OSU Softball Complex. It was OSU's first shutout loss at home to an unranked team since April 29, 2005.

The Aggies lost to Portland State, 3-1, in eight innings earlier Saturday, but USU bounced back to upset OSU, snapping a four-game losing skid. It was the Beavers' third loss in the last nine games, all three to Western Athletic Conference teams as the other losses were both to Hawai'i, as OSU is now 20-10. The Beavers were 43-16 last season and advanced to the Women's College World Series.

USU improved to 9-15, surpassing last season's win total when the Aggies were 8-38.

Saturday was Utah State's first win over a ranked team since beating #18 Oregon, 7-6, last season on Feb. 17, at the UNLV Classic.

"I'm really happy for the girls to rebound from the earlier loss. They knew it was a not-so-good performance and in this game we played the way we know we can play," USU head coach Candi Letts said.

Senior Lexy Perry went the distance in the circle for Utah State, spraying five hits while logging only one strikeout, but got solid defensive help behind her and some key offense.

Perry recorded USU's first shutout win since April 16, 2005, when the Aggies blanked UC Riverside, 10-0 in five innings at home, and Saturday was the first road shutout win for Utah State since March 20, 2005, when the Aggies shutout Cal State Northride, 4-0, at Northridge, Calif.

The win evened Perry's record at 2-2 on the season, and was a bit of revenge for her. Perry had only nine appearances last season, one of which was against Oregon State, in a 10-3 Beaver win over the Aggies on Feb. 11, at the Arizona State Tournament in which Perry gave up six runs, including a home run to Brianne McGowan, in two innings.

"Lexy did a great job today in getting her first career shutout and our defense played fantastic behind her," Letts said.

Utah State plated a run in the top of the fourth and added an insurance run in the top of the sixth, and the Aggies hung on thanks to some key defensive plays and some flashy glove work.

"We talked about needing somebody to step up and make a crucial play at a key point in the game," Letts said. "This was the first game where we actually saw that attitude in the way they played. Sometimes that is the difference between winning and losing, as well as believing you can do it and that's what happened today.

In the fourth, USU took advantage of an OSU error, a walk and a catcher's interference to load the bases with only one out, and then Beaver starter Ta'Tyana McElroy fired a wild pitch to junior SS Tara Evans, plating freshman CF Emily Reilly with the first run of the game.

The Beavers made a pitching change, taking out McElroy and bringing in Brianne McGowan, an All-American last season, who got the next two USU batters out, stranding two runners and ending the rally.

OSU got two base runners on in the fourth, but Perry got out of the jam with a pop out to right.

In the top of the sixth, junior 3B Amy Schaible smacked a one-out single to center. Senior C Jami Uragami moved Schaible to second with a sacrifice bunt. Junior SS Tara Evans was then hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second. Junior DH Heather Haak next laced a single to right to score Schaible and put the Aggies up, 2-0. McGowan then got junior 2B Whitnie Ray to fly out to right to thwart the rally.

The Beavers mounted a threat in the sixth, loading the bases with two outs, before OSU's DeAnn Young laced a liner to right, where Aggie senior RF Lauren Guzman was roaming and made a spectacular diving catch to end the inning. USU went down in order in the top of the seventh, setting up a dramatic bottom of the seventh.

OSU's Stefanie Ewing led off with a single to center. Natalie Johnson sac bunted Ewing to second and Dani Chisholm laid down a sac bunt to move Ewing to third. Cambria Miranda then stepped to the plate and flew out to Guzman in right, sparking the Aggies' jubilation.

USU concludes Cascade Clash Invitational action Sunday with a twinbill against Towson at 10 a.m. (MT).