CORVALLIS — Two swings of the bat was all it took for 13th-ranked Oregon State to take down in-state rival No. 25 Oregon on Wednesday and push its winning streak
to 19 games.
Behind back-to-back home runs by Lisa Allen and Sherina Galvan in the fifth inning and pitcher Brianne McGowan’s one-hitter, the Beavers (25-6 overall, 4-0 Pacific-10 Conference) defeated the Ducks 2-1 at the OSU Softball Complex.
The Ducks (22-11, 2-2) took a 1-0 lead into the fifth inning with Oregon pitcher Amy Harris having only given up one hit. With one out, Allen drove a ball to deep right-center field, and before any of the Duck outfielders could get to it, it ricocheted off the top of the fence and bounced over to tie the game. It was the catcher’s sixth home run of
the season.
Next up for the Beavers was Galvan, who up to this point hadn’t hit a home run all season and struck out looking in her first plate appearance. She hit a 1-2 rise ball
to deep center field that barely glided over the fence to give the Beavers a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
The sophomore third baseman said she was starting to get a good read on what Harris was throwing.
“My first at-bat I was seeing the ball good,” the Moreno Valley, Calif., native said. “My second at-bat I was definitely seeing the ball well, and I was ready. It was a rise ball, and I was already going for it, and I knew I had to just keep my hands up. I went with the pitch, and it worked out.”
After the homers, the Beavers’ pitcher McGowan felt relieved.
“That whole run was my fault so I felt bad for putting the team behind like that,” she said. “I thought, ‘Great, we are back in this,’ and then (Sherina) comes up with another one, her first of the year.”
McGowan did the rest for the Beavers.
The 6-foot-2 sophomore dominated Duck hitters all day, and she went the distance giving up a lone hit and a run while striking out nine.
She still looked very strong in the last inning as she struck out the side in order.
“The (last) inning has been our Achilles’ heel this season, so I was a little more focused this time,” McGowan said. “Especially since it was against Oregon, our biggest rival.”
The victory gave last week’s
Pac-10 Pitcher of the Week her
22nd victory of the season, the most in the conference.
Her counterpart, Harris, was no slouch either Wednesday. The Eugene native retired the first 10 Oregon State batters and gave up only three hits, but unfortunately for the Ducks, two of them were home runs.
“I take responsibility for those two home runs,” Harris said. “I eliminate those two mistake pitches, and we win the ball game … You live and learn and unfortunately I learned the hard way today.
“But at the same time, one hit, we can’t rely on one hit.”
The only Oregon offensive output came in the top of the third inning when junior shortstop Breanne Sabol drew a walk from McGowan, and freshman Lovena Chaput sliced a double into the left-center field gap to score Sabol from first base. It was the only hit the Ducks could muster against McGowan.
The Ducks still have two more chances at the Beavers this season. They’ll host a two-game series at Howe Field on April 23 and 24.
“It’s really a tough loss,” Harris said. “It’s always hard to lose to your arch rivals 2-1.
“But we’ll see them at home.”
