The Barometer Online

Issue date: 4/11/07 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Peter Strong Pitcher Ta'Tyana McElroy fires a pitch to home plate during Oregon State's 6-2 win over Portland State.

The OSU Beavers maintained their focus and got the job done against the visiting Portland State Vikings, with seniors Brianne McGowan and Ta'Tyana McElroy leading the way during a double-header Tuesday in Corvallis.

If the Vikings were hoping to catch the Beavers napping while they recover from a close loss to rival Oregon, and with 12th-ranked UCLA on the horizon, they were sorely disappointed.

"One of the things we talked about this week in general was that every game left is an opportunity when we step on the field," coach Kirk Walker said. "So there's really no reason not to be up and focused."

"Every game, we come out and play because it's another chance for us to work on our game," senior shortstop Mia Longfellow concurred.

McGowan picked up her 19th win of the year by shutting down PSU in the first game, 4-0, which increased her career shutout total to 34.

The Beaver bats were swinging away, with eight different players recording hits, but it wasn't until the bottom of the fifth that OSU was able to bring any runs around having left the bases loaded in the bottom of the second with one out.

"It was good to see us come out and start swinging the bats well," Longfellow said.

According to Longfellow, who was 2-for-4 in both games with a run scored and two RBI's, "Anytime you get a runner on second base, you need to take advantage of that because that team gave a weakness up. Especially in the Pac-10, we're not going to get a lot of runners on second, so when the opportunity comes we need to capitalize on it. Junior utility player Mindy Bean, playing left field, opened the floodgates by knocking a blooper single into right field, which brought in sophomore Paige Lowe. McGowan (19-7), who also increased her career strikeout total to 808 with six strikeouts, belted a lead-off double to increase the Beaver lead. Sophomore first baseman DeAnn Young completed the scoring with a single to center.

McGowan, however, stressed that her focus is on her team and another Pac-10 championship.

Continued...

Page 1 of 2 next >

Article Tools