Oregon State, Baylor set to play on Sunday

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CORVALLIS, Ore. -- Freshman Paige Lowe scored on a

misfielded grounder in the seventh inning and Oregon State beat

Baylor 5-3 Saturday to advance to the NCAA Corvallis Regional

championship.

The Beavers (40-13) will again face the Bears (38-21) on Sunday,

after Baylor defeated Portland State 3-2 in the late game on

Saturday.

If the Beavers win, they will advance. If the Bears win, the two

teams will play a second game in the double elimination tournament.

In the early game Saturday, Brianne McGowan (26-6) gave up

back-to-back Baylor home runs in the first inning but settled down

to pitch a complete game with seven strikeouts.

"Whenever I give up runs early in the game, I always have

confidence that they're (my teammates) going to come back and give

me some runs," McGowan said.

Baylor took the 3-0 lead in the first off homers from Chelsi

Lake and Ashley Monceaux.

Oregon State scored in the third inning on Mia Longfellow's

double to make it 3-1, before catcher Lisa Allen hit a two-run home

run in the sixth inning to tie it.

Pinch hitter Ingrid Lochelt's grounder with runners in scoring

position was misplayed by Baylor's third baseman allowing Lowe to

score the go-ahead run.

"I was nervous, but I just kind of felt that I was going to see

it and hit it. I wanted to give it my all because it is my senior

year _ I wanted to put us in a position for us to win," Lochelt

said.

Oregon State added a run when Longfellow reached on a bases

loaded fielders choice and the play at the plate was too late.

Lisa Ferguson (19-14) gave up five runs on six hits for the

Bears.

"One of the characteristics that this team has been consistent

with is not letting the first part of the game effect the finish of

the game. It's a hard thing to do, especially in the regional

tournament," Oregon State coach Kirk Waker said. "It was kind of

tough, but this team does a great job of adjusting and going after

it and building on every at bat. I had confidence after the third

inning that they were getting on track."

Baylor advanced when Harmony Schwethel's misplayed grounder

scored Alex Colyer in the seventh inning and Baylor beat Portland

State.

With the score tied at 2, Colyer led-off the seventh with a

double to center field and scored when Schwethel's grounder was

misfielded.

The Vikings scored on Katie Stokes RBI single in the second,

then made it 2-0 a passed ball in the bottom of the third.

The Bears rallied to tie it in the top of the sixth with a hard

2-run shot by Ashley Monceaux.

Ferguson pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowing two hits, in the win.

Michelle Hext allowed three runs on six hits in the loss, which

eliminated the Vikings (38-20). She struck out eight.

In the other game Saturday, Kimi Daniel scored the go-ahead run

when Jamee Rauch reached base on a fielder's choice and Portland

State beat Nevada 2-1.

Mandy Hill (24-7) allowed just one run on two hits in a complete

game for the Vikings, who had their first-ever postseason victory.

Jordan McPherson (22-22) allowed two runs on four hits in six

innings for Nevada (33-33), which was eliminated.

Nevada took the early lead in the third inning with Cindy

Elkins' solo home run.

Portland State tied the game in the bottom of the fourth with

Rauch's RBI single. Rauch's fielder's choice scored Daniel in the

sixth.

Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press

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