Pac-10 Softball: No. 3 Arizona Holds Off No.13 Oregon State, 3-1

The Beaver players wore maroon ribbons with the letters VT displayed in orange during the game in honor of the fallen victims of the Virginia Tech tragedy.

Junior Cambria Miranda belted her ninth home run of the season against No. 3 Arizona. Photo: OSU Athletics

TUCSON, Arizona - The No. 13 ranked Oregon State softball team gave it their best shot against defending national champion and No. 3 ranked Arizona, but it was Wildcat shortstop Kristie Fox’s night as Arizona earned a 3-1 victory on Friday at Hillenbrand Stadium.

Fox just missed hitting for the cycle against the Beavers (33-14; 5-4 Pac-10), belting a triple, a double and a home run in consecutive at-bats and going 3-for-3 from the plate. She drove in two of Arizona’s three runs and scored the third.

Oregon State took an early 1-0 lead when junior Cambria Miranda belted her team-leading ninth home run of the season over the right field fence in the opening inning.

Unfortunately for OSU, after Miranda’s blast Arizona pitcher Taryne Mowatt found her groove in the circle and struck out the next seven batters that she faced.

Arizona (32-9; 8-2 Pac-10) answered to tie the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the first when Fox lined a RBI triple down the first base line that plated Caitlin Lowe and the Wildcats took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the third when Fox opened the frame with a double and eventually came around to score.

Beaver outfielder Natalie Johnson made an amazing grab in centerfield with an over-the-shoulder diving catch of Chelsie Mesa’s liner in the gap to open Arizona’s half of the fifth.

The catch was similar to Johnson’s spectacular play last season when she made a diving snag on the final weekend of the regular season in Tucson.

Fox followed Mesa to the plate and pushed the Arizona lead to 3-1 when she homered over the left field fence.

Oregon State senior pitcher Brianne McGowan (20-8) struck out four batters and scattered seven hits on the night.

The Beaver players wore maroon ribbons with the letters VT displayed in orange during the game in honor of the fallen victims of the Virginia Tech tragedy that occurred earlier in the week.

Oregon State returns to the field on Saturday to face No. 7 ranked Arizona State. OSU has won four of the last five games played against ASU in Tempe

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