EUGENE, Ore.--The fourth-ranked Husky softball team dropped a wild and atypical battle at the plate on Sunday against Oregon, 11-8, but came back to down the Ducks in the nightcap, 6-4. Washingtons 17 runs came off 26 hits, all of which were singles. UW now stands at 44-11 overall and has secured a runner-up finish in the Pacific-10 race with a 17-7 record. Oregon is 38-25 and 10-14.
While most outings this season have featured stingy pitching by the Huskies, allowing only 1 1/2 runs per game while the offense scores 4 1/2, the first game saw both teams combine for 19 runs off 24 hits. It marked only the second time this season a team has recorded either double-digit hits or runs against UW. All three of Washingtons pitchers went to the mound, with Graves starting and pitching 3.1 innings in the loss.
Washington got on the board first, however, when freshman Kelly Hauxhurst scored off a single, a wild pitch and a long single to right field by freshman Kim DePaul. Oregon was quiet in the first and loaded the bases in the second before unleashing with seven runs in the third, including a grand slam that was argued foul, before UW could record the second and third outs of the frame.
The top of the fourth was much the same. Eight of the first nine UW batters landed on base, with a sacrifice bunt interrupting the streak but advancing the runners. Junior Becky Newbry started off with a single and sophomore Erin Helgeland reached first on a fielders choice. A passed ball put them on second and third before freshman Michelle Yarbroughs fielders choice yielded an RBI. Freshman Christie Rosenblad singled to score Helgeland, and then Yarbrough crossed the plate off an error. Another error put senior Leah Francis on second and scored Rosenblad, and a single to right by sophomore Rosie Leutzinger sent Francis home. Leutzinger and Hauxhurst rounded the bases again on a single, DePauls sacrifice and hits by senior Eve Gaw and Newbry before UO recorded a double play to end the frame.
Oregon tied it up in the bottom of the fourth, and a three-run double in the bottom of the sixth put the Ducks up for good, as UW put two on base in the seventh but was unable to finish the rally.
In the second game, UW spread out its runs off 12 hits, quieted the Duck bats and took advantage of five Oregon errors to bounce back for the win. Newbry and sophomore Jennifer Spediacci singled to start off the second frame, and Helgeland sacrificed them to second and third before both advanced again on a wild pitch. Francis shot over the second baseman knocked in Spediacci to make it 2-0.
Both the Huskies and Ducks scored in the third inning. Newbry reached first on an error, took second on a single by Spediacci and scored on a hard grounder up the middle by Helgeland. UW got two more runs in the fifth. DePaul singled, Gaw sacrificed her to second, and she scored on another Helgeland single. An ensuing error helped Spediacci cross the plate after she was walked.
The final run came in the seventh on two costly errors that allowed Gaw to reach first and pinch runner Angela Bennett to finish rounding the bases. Spediacci (20-5) went the distance for the 18th time this year, striking out eight.
Game One Washington 100 700 0 -- 8 14 1 Oregon 007 103 x -- 11 10 2 Jamie Graves, Eve Gaw (3), Graves (4), Jennifer Spediacci (6) and Jeanine Giordano; Jennifer Cook, Bethany Smith (4) and Kelly Planche. WP-Smith (13-8). LP-Graves (17-5). 2B-UO, Robinson (2), Cook, Mackey. HR-UO, Mackey. Game Two Washington 021 020 1 -- 6 12 1 Oregon 001 100 0 -- 2 4 5 Jennifer Spediacci and Jeanine Giordano; Bethany Smith, Jennifer Cook (5). WP-Spediacci (20-5). LP-Smith (12-9). 2B-UO, Jeppsen. |
