University of Oregon
8-13
Southern Utah
7-12
Thunderbirds Top Ducks, 2-1, in Reno Opener
03/06/09 | Softball
* A boxscore and play-by-play is located in the LINKS box to the right, and updated season stats are available via the link above.
RENO, Nev. - The UO softball team (8-13) dropped its Wolf Pack Classic opener Friday to Southern Utah, 2-1, at the University of Nevada's Hixson Park.
Junior first baseman Carlyn Re provided the Ducks' offensive highlight with her first career home run off a 1-2 pitch to lead off the seventh inning. The Tualatin, Ore., native is now the seventh Duck to homer this season, and is one of five Ducks hitting .280 or better this year with her .288 average.
The Oregon offense also threatened to score off SUU starter Kristina Books (7-11) several other innings, but stranded two base runners in the sixth inning, and single runners in the second, third and seventh innings.
UO sophomore Samantha Skillingstad (6-4) pitched the first three innings, and struck out five, and allowed five hits, and both of her runs allowed were earned. Sophomore Brittany Rumfelt worked the final three innings and struck out six - the fourth time in 10 appearances in '09 in which she has struck out at least six batters, with the other three totals coming in outings of six innings or more.
Five different Ducks hit safely Friday - senior shortstop Sari-Jane Jenkins (1-for-3), junior centerfielder Neena Bryant (1-for-2, double), sophomore designated player Monique Fuiava (1-for-2), Re (1-for-3, 1 run, 1 RBI) and pinch hitter and sophomore Ashley Kivett (1-for-1).
Bryant's double to open the fourth inning raised her hitting streak to six games - one shy of her and the team's season long. Kivett's hit was her fifth in her last nine at-bats - a stretch that began in San Diego last weekend against then-No. 12 Missouri with an RBI single and 3-RBI triple. She also went 2-for-4 the same day vs. another returning NCAA qualifier in San Diego State.
On the basepaths Friday, Jenkins upped her stolen base school record to 88 with her swipe in the third inning, and Fuiava added her second stolen base of the season in the second inning - and is now one shy of her freshman season total (3).
Southern Utah (7-12) scored both of its runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Its third, fourth and fifth hitters in the lineup - Aly Daniels, Darleen Fernandez and Shannon Lum - all doubled to open the inning and the latter two each picked up RBI's. Rumfelt came in the game, and allowed a single down the right field line, but right fielder Kelsey Chambers' throw home easily cut down Lum at the plate for SUU's first out of the inning, which was followed by a pair of strikeouts looking.
The Ducks looked poised to score in the second inning on Fuiava's single that was followed by a stolen base and passed ball, but a pair of strikeouts and a line drive to shortstop ended the inning. Bryant's lead-off double in the fourth was foiled on a caught stealing attempt on the shortstop's nifty catch and tag off the catcher's throw that bounced in just as she was racing to cover third. With two outs in the sixth, UO also put freshman Kelsey Chambers and Bryant on via a walk and hit by pitch, but another liner to shortstop ended the inning.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Thunderbirds looked ready to score again as Fernandez and Lum had back-to-back singles with one out, but Rumfelt forced infield groundouts to end the inning. Skillingstad also thwarted big innings early after inning-opening doubles in the first and second innings with subsequent 1-2-3 efforts, including three straight K's in the latter inning.
Oregon was originally scheduled to play Southern Utah at 10 a.m. Friday, but Nevada tourney officials decided to push the contest back to 12:30 p.m., since the weather at 8 a.m. - temps in the upper 30s, winds 5-10 mph and flurries - appeared to improve in radar forecasts for the upcoming hours. The starting time switch meant that UO's game vs. Nevada is postponed indefinitely.
Looking ahead, UO returns for two more tourney games Saturday in its final-day action, and faces Southern Utah (7-12) and Nevada (12-8) at 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m., respectively.
More tourney info and opponent info is located at Nevada's and Southern Utah's www.NevadaWolfPack.com and www.SUutbirds.com athletic department websites.
LINESCORE
Southern Utah 2, OREGON 1 (Mar 06, 2009 at Reno, Nev.)
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OREGON.............. 000 000 1 - 1 5 0 (8-13)
Southern Utah....... 000 200 X - 2 8 0 (7-12)
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Pitchers: OREGON - Skillingstad, Sam; Rumfelt, Brittany(4). Southern Utah - K. Brooks.
Win-K. Brooks(7-11) Loss-Skillingstad, Sam(6-4) T-1:48 A-200
HR ORE - Re, Carlyn.
Weather: 40, partly cloudy, wind 5-15
Skillingstad faced 3 batters in the 4th.
- www.GoDucks.com -
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: K. Brooks (7-11)
L: Skillingstad, Samantha (6-4)
Batting:
2B: Bryant, Neena 1
HR: Re, Carlyn 1
RBI: Re, Carlyn 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Re, Carlyn 1
SB: Jenkins, Sari-Jane 1 ; Fuiava, Monique 1
CS: Bryant, Neena 1
HBP: Bryant, Neena 1
Batting:
2B: J. Purcell 1 ; A. Daniels 1 ; D. Fernandez 1 ; S. Lum 2
RBI: D. Fernandez 1 ; S. Lum 1
Base Running:
RUNS: A. Daniels 1 ; D. Fernandez 1
