Kleist Shuts Down FGCU, Ducks Win Sixth Straight

Friday, March 2

Tallahassee, FL

2:30 PM

University of Oregon

16-3

Florida Gulf Coast

13-2

FGCU

Oregon

03/02/18 | Softball

Box Score Box: #6 Oregon 5, FGCU 0

Megan Kleist struck out 15 over seven stellar innings and Gwen Svekis homered for the third straight game as No. 6 Oregon beat Florida Gulf Coast, 5-0, for its sixth straight win

By: Nate Krueger

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Junior Megan Kleist struck out 15 over seven stellar innings and senior Gwen Svekis homered for the third straight game on Friday night as the No. 6 Oregon softball team took down Florida Gulf Coast, 5-0, at JoAnne Graf Field.

The Ducks (16-3) have now won their last six games, including three straight shutouts, and have gotten off to a 2-0 start at the Unconquered Invitational in Tallahassee after defeating No. 13 Florida State, 5-0, earlier in the afternoon.

How it Happened: Much like teammate Miranda Elish earlier in the day, Kleist (6-2) allowed a base hit to open the game and then was untouchable from there on out. The Appleton, Wisc., native set down the next 14 batters she faced before a bunt base hit in the fifth, and those were the only two baserunners she allowed all night long while finishing one strikeout shy of her career-high without surrendering a walk.

Svekis, who homered in the first inning against FSU, did so again against FGCU (13-2), blasting a three-run shot deep to left field to put the Ducks out ahead early, 3-0.

Freshman Shaye Bowden extended UO's lead to 4-0 with a sacrifice fly in the third after Svekis and DJ Sanders opened the frame with a walk and a single, respectively.

The Ducks got some help from FGCU in the sixth to score their fifth and final run. Bowden was hit by a pitch to start the inning, and a throwing error on a Haley Cruse infield single allowed her to come around and score from first.

In the Circle: Kleist struck out the side three times and threw five 1-2-3 innings for her second complete-game shutout of the year. She now has three games this year with double-digit strikeouts and no walks, and she dropped her season ERA to an impressive 0.93. In 52.1 innings, Kleist has 72 strikeouts with only seven walks.

At the Plate: Svekis took over the team lead with her eighth home run, and she has now homered in at least three straight games two different times this season. Cruse and Jenna Lilley each led UO with two hits, and Bowden picked up her fifth RBI.

Up Next: The Ducks will continue their weekend at the Unconquered Invitational with two games on Saturday. No. 6 Oregon will take on Hofstra at 7 a.m. PT before facing FGCU in a rematch at 2:30 p.m.