The Barometer Online

Issue date: 4/7/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Jeff Wick Jorge Reyes pitched OSU out of a potential three-game sweep against Cal yesterday. Reyes nearly went seven innings while giving up just two runs.

Amid sporadic rain showers, Oregon State softball (23-18, 2-4 Pac-10) took the top-ranked Arizona State Sun Devils (41-2, 5-0 Pac-10) to 12 innings over the weekend before falling 3-2.

The first of two games began as scheduled at 1 p.m. on Saturday, with the second to follow on Sunday at noon.

At the top of the second inning, Renee Welty put Arizona State on the board first with a solo home run. After three innings and a one-hour rain delay, the game was halted with ASU ahead 1-0 and scheduled to resume at 11:30 a.m. the following day.

When that game was resumed Sunday morning, the Beavers found their bats early on, with Dani Chisholm starting it off in the bottom of the fourth with a double over the left fielder's head.

"I just know as a lead-off batter I need to start something off for our team, whether that be a hit, a bunt or a walk. Hitting is contagious, and once you start it off, someone will follow," Chisholm said.

And the Beavers did follow, as clean-up batter DeAnn Young walked to place runners on first and second with no outs. Audrey Rogerfield laid down a bunt that ASU pitcher Katie Burkhart overthrew to first, allowing Chisholm to score and leaving runners in scoring positions at first and third.

Burkhart struck out the next batter, Erin Guzy, and Stefanie Ewing followed by hitting into a fielder's choice. Sun Devils second baseman Mindy Cowles tagged second base for the second out of the inning, but smart base running by Rogerfield prevented the double play and allowed Young to reach home plate for the go-ahead run.

With one out in the top of the fifth inning, the Sun Devils threatened to come back when Kristen Donnenwirth doubled off the center field wall. Donnenwirth advanced to third on a fielder's choice before OSU pitcher Kelly Dyer's second of two fifth- inning strikeouts left Donnenwirth stranded on base.

In the sixth inning both the Beavers and the Sun Devils left runners on base and went scoreless, with Oregon State still ahead 2-1.

Continued...

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