Extra-Inning Win Over Oregon State Highlights Another Split At Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic

Saturday, February 22

Palm Springs, Calif.

2:30 p.m.

Long Beach State University

7-7

Oregon State

8-5

Long Beach State

Oregon State

Photo by: Scott Quintard

Extra-Inning Win Over Oregon State Highlights Another Split At Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic

2/22/2020 9:25:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Photo Gallery

The Beach held off the Beavers, but lost a wild one with No. 25 Northwestern.

By: Roger Kirk, Assistant Athletics Director, Athletic Communications

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. – For the second straight day, Long Beach State came away with a split out in the desert, holding off Oregon State 2-1 in eight innings behind a tremendous pitching performance, while a wild back-and-forth contest with No. 25 Northwestern eventually went the way of the Wildcats in an 11-6 defeat.

                Ashley Coleman and Marah Mazon went pitch for pitch in a fantastic game between Oregon State (8-5) and Long Beach State (7-7). Both pitchers went five scoreless and Coleman scattered four hits while striking out four.

                The Beach were able to break through first, as Rylie Seip started off the sixth inning with a bunt single. The junior then came home to score as Alyssa Gonzalez' single into center field got away from Ashton Phillips to make the score 1-0.

                Coleman nearly finished the game, but Mazon kept her team in it with a solo home run to start the bottom of the seventh. The LBSU senior wasn't rattled, though, and retired the next three batters in order to send the game to extra innings.

                In the eighth, tiebreaker runner Justine Briones was successfully sacrificed to third by Sara Olson. After a groundout for the second out of the inning, Sydney McCollum then beat out a high chopper to score Briones and made the score 2-1.

                After a Beaver sacrifice to advance the tiebreaker runner, Coleman picked up a crucial strikeout of pinch hitter Chance Burden, and finished off the game with a routine grounder to pick up her second complete game win of the weekend.

                Kellie White and Long Beach State got off to a rapid start in the opening game against No. 25 Northwestern (5-8), as White struck out the side to open up the first and then RBI hits from Gonzalez and Abby Lockman plated three after a leadoff error to put LBSU on top 3-0.

                Back-to-back Long Beach State errors would help the Wildcats get back into the game with two runs in the third, and then a two-run double from Morgan Newport gave Northwestern the lead in a big day for the designated player.

                Long Beach State retook the lead in the bottom half of the fifth, as back-to-back singles by Sara Olson and Rylie Seip put two on. After a double-steal, both were in position for McCollum who delivered a single to make the score 5-4.

                Morgan Quinlan, who effectively got the Beach out of the fifth after the Newport double got wild in the sixth. Two walks and a missed attempt to get the lead runner loaded the bases, and a third walk tied the game and left the bases loaded for Newport. The Wildcats star then lifted a homer just out of the reach of Breezy Wise in left for a grand slam to make the score 9-5.

                The Beach plated one run in the sixth, but Northwestern added two more in the seventh to take the win.

                Long Beach State closes out their time at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic tomorrow with one final game against Seattle U at 11:30 a.m. Live stats will be available at www.beachlivestats.com, while FloSoftball will again be providing a paid stream.