University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Oregon State
Balanced Attack Leads #25 Softball Over Oregon State, 6-1
March 20, 2010 | Softball
March 20, 2010
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - Six hits by six different players paced a balanced offense and Sara Plourde provided more great pitching, striking out 11, to lead No. 25 UMass (15-6) to a 6-1 victory over Oregon State (10-13) on Saturday afternoon on day three of the San Diego Classic II. The victory finished a 1-1 for the Minutewomen after they dropped a 1-0 heartbreaker to Texas A&M earlier in the day.
After the Beavers scored a run on two hits in the top of the first inning, the Minutewomen scored three runs in the bottom of the inning and added two in the fourth and one in the fifth. Meanwhile Plourde, retired 14 in a row after allowing Audrey Roderfeld's RBI double in the first inning and allowed just one base-runner the rest of the game.
Plourde (14-4) allowed one run on three hits while striking out 11 and not walking a batter. After fanning a school-record 22 in the game against Texas A&M, the sophomore hurler finished the day with 33 strikeouts. She now has 228 K's in 122 innings pitched on the season.
Audrey Boutin drove in UMass' first run with a bases loaded walk in the first inning after a hit batter, and two singles loaded the bases. Michelle Libby's sacrifice fly dove in the second run, and Sarah Reeves followed by knocking in a run with a fielder's choice.
Katie Bettencourt singled to lead off the fourth inning and eventually score on an error by the second baseman off the bat of Kyllie Magill. Boutin's two-out single to center field scored Whitney Williams, giving UMass a 5-1 lead after four innings.
Libby led off the fifth inning with a walk, and after pinch-runner Cyndil Matthew stole second and scored the game's final run on Reeves' RBI double to left center, making it 6-1
Boutin and Reeves each finished the game with two RBI.
Beavers starter Paige Hall finished with four strikeouts while allowing six runs, four earned, on six hits, three walks, and two errors.
The Minutewomen close out play at the San Diego Classic II on Sunday with a 3:30 p.m. ET game against Long Beach State. Live audio and Gametracker of that game can be found for free at UMassAthletics.com.
