Comeback Effort Not Enough as Blackbirds Fall to Oklahoma State, 6-4

(boxscore)

2/23/07 --Senior Randi Gillespie (San Jose, Calif.) had three hits to extend her hitting streak to six games but the Long Island University softball team fell to Oklahoma State, 6-4, in its first game of the Palm Springs Invitational in Palm
Springs, Calif. on Friday afternoon.

Gillespie also scored one of the Blackbirds’ four runs and pushed her season batting average to a team-best .647.

After the Cowgirls scored an unearned run in the top of the second inning to open the scoring, LIU took the lead in the bottom half. Freshman Brynn Lewis (Woodinville, Wash.) began the frame with a walk. Pinch runner Andrea Diaz (Staten Island, N.Y.) then advanced to second on a stolen base. Junior Celina Castillo (Bay Area, Calif.), who had two hits on the afternoon, attempted to sacrifice bunt Diaz to third and was more than successful as her bunt went over the drawn-in infield for a base hit.

Junior Vanessa Mejia (Roanoke, Va.) sacrificed both Diaz and Castillo over with a bunt and after Gillespie walked, freshman Raylene Asman (Escondido, Calif.) drew another base on balls to tie the game at 1-1. Sophomore Renae Beachman (Eagle Rock, Calif.) drove in the team’s second run and her team-leading sixth on the season with a sacrifice fly to left to give LIU a 2-1 advantage.

The lead was shortlived, however, as in the top of the third a one-out solo home run by OSU’s Emily Blackburn knotted the contest again at 2-2. The Cowgirls would take the lead in the next inning as they scored their second unearned run of the game.

In the bottom of the fifth, Long Island had a golden opportunity to tie or take the lead. With the bases loaded and only one out, OSU’s Jessica Hoppock struck out the next two batters to squelch the rally. Hoppock finished with six strikeouts on the day.

A three-run home run by Courtney Totte in the seventh extended the Cowgirls’ lead to 6-2, but the Blackbirds fought back in the bottom of the frame. Mejia, Gillespie and Asman all recorded singles to begin the inning to load the bases with nobody out. Beauchman then popped out to shortstop. Junior Jessie DePippo (West Lake Village, Calif.) walked to force in a run and freshman Chelsea Martinson (Agoura Hills, Calif.) followed with a sacrifice fly to deep right center that cut the Blackbirds’ deficit in half, 6-4. Hoppock finished off the game by getting junior Brittany Murphy (Los Alamitos, Calif.) to pop out to herself. The victory improves Hoppock’s record to 7-2 overall.

Sophomore Jenny Giles suffered the loss to even her mark at 2-2 on the year. LIU continues play in the Palm Springs Invitational with a pair of games on Saturday, Feb. 24. The Blackbirds will face Loyola Marymount at 10:00 a.m and then will play Fresno State at 8:00 p.m.