Beavers Split Doubleheader in Salt Lake City

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Oregon State softball team split Friday's doubleheader at Utah, taking game one 7-1 before falling 8-3 in game two.
 
Frankie Hammoude exploded with three home runs over the course of the two contests, bringing her total to 16 longballs on the season. Chance Burden tallied three hits over the course of the doubleheader.
 
Oregon State now sits at 19-26 on the year.
 
Game 1 – Oregon State 7, Utah 1
 
Oregon State launched four home runs, including a pair of blasts from Hammoude, as it took game one of the doubleheader. Hammoude blasted her 14th and 15th homers of the season, finishing the game with three RBIs. Madison Simon and Missy Nunes both hit dingers in the contest, while Burden went 2-for-3 with an RBI.
 
Nerissa Eason allowed just one run in seven innings of work, shutting down Utah for the final six frames, while conceding only four hits over the course of the contest.
 
Oregon State wasted no time getting things started, as Simon led game one off with a solo shot. Utah leveled the score in the bottom of the frame, but Nunes responded with a solo homer of her own to get things started in the second.
 
The Beavers tacked on two more in the fourth. Nunes started the frame with a walk, before Charity Sevaaetasi singled to put a pair aboard. Grace Messmer came through with a sacrifice bunt, before Burden laid down another bunt to bring Nunes home. Sevaaetasi scored on a passed ball shortly thereafter to send Oregon State to the fifth up 4-1.
 
Hammoude took it from there, blasting a solo homer in the fifth, followed by a two run shot in the seventh to give the Beavers a 7-1 victory.
 
Game 2 – Utah 8, Oregon State 3
 
A big first inning lifted the Utes to a win in game two.
 
Hammoude homered again, and Messmer and Burden both recorded doubles, but the Beavers couldn't overcome a seven-run first inning by Utah.
 
Mariah Mazon struck out six in five and a third innings of work, bringing her season total to 199 strikeouts.
 
Oregon State jumped in front again in game two, as Simon walked before Mazon plated her with a double that narrowly missed leaving the yard. Utah responded with seven in the bottom of the frame to take the lead.
 
Burden doubled in the top of the second, but was stranded on third. Utah added another run in the fifth.
 
The Beavers got a rally going in the sixth, as Hammoude belted her third homer of the day to cut the advantage to six. Burden drove home Nunes with a double, and Oregon State put runners on the corners with two out, but Utah was able to limit the damage, as OSU headed to the bottom of the frame down 8-3. Utah was able to close out the game from there, taking the win by five.
 
The Beavers will close out the regular season on Saturday, when they wrap up their series vs. Utah at 11 a.m. PT.
 
OUR MISSION
Oregon State Athletics strives to Build Excellent Authentic Visionary Student-Athletes (Go BEAVS).