Cruse Stays Hot, Pitching Dominates in Doubleheader Sweep

Friday, February 21

Cathedral City, CA

3:00 PM

University of Oregon

12-0

Notre Dame

9-4

Oregon

Notre Dame

Cruse Stays Hot, Pitching Dominates in Doubleheader Sweep

02/21/20 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Box Score - Oregon 5, Notre Dame 1 Box Score - Oregon 13, Idaho State 0 (5)

By: Derren Iha

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. – Oregon grinded out a tough 5-1 win over Notre Dame in game one of the doubleheader before completing the sweep in the nightcap with a dominating 13-0 victory over Idaho State Friday at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.

The Ducks are off to a 13-0 start, good for the third-longest winning streak to begin a season in program history behind only the 2017 and 2015 teams.

Game 1 (Oregon 5, Notre Dame 1) – Locked in a pitchers' duel for most of the game, Oregon used a three-run sixth inning to break things open while Jordan Dail turned in a complete-game effort in a 5-1 win over Notre Dame in the doubleheader opener.

How it Happened: After Notre Dame cut the Oregon lead in half following a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth, the Ducks answered with a three-run sixth to break things open. Cruse again came up big, lacing a two-run triple down the right field line to score Deijah Pangilinan and Jasmine Sievers to make it 4-1. Cruse came in to score one batter later on a Terra McGowan RBI groundout.

It took a few innings this time, but the Ducks got on the board first with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth. Allee Bunker led off the inning with a double down the left field line then advanced to third on an error, before Ariel Carlson drove her in to bring home the game's first run. Carlson came in to score later in the inning when she slid around a tag at the plate to stretch the lead to 2-0.

Dail battled all game long in the circle, working out of numerous tough situations to keep the Fighting Irish in check. In the second inning, she worked around a leadoff triple by retiring the next three, and in the fifth, Dail got out of a bases-loaded jam to give the Ducks all the momentum heading into its three-run sixth.

Game 1 Box Score Notes: Cruse turned in her third-straight three-hit game, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored … Dail tossed her second complete game of the year, and 33rd of her career, throwing seven innings of one-run ball with three strikeouts … She held Notre Dame to 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and 1-for-16 with runners on base.

Game 2 (Oregon 13, Idaho State 0) – After picking up a big win in the doubleheader opener, Oregon flexed its muscle in game two, dominating from start to finish in a 13-0 win over Idaho State.

How it Happened: The Ducks wasted no time going to work in the nightcap of the doubleheader, scoring three in the first, five in the second and three in the third to open up a big lead. After Cruse opened up the game with a double, Bunker picked her up with an infield single to make it 1-0. Carlson delivered an RBI double and Jasmine Sievers came through with an RBI single to cap off the scoring in the first.

Rachel Cid opened the scoring in the second with a two-out RBI single scoring Shaye Bowden and making it 4-0. After Bunker plated Cruse with an RBI infield hit, Carlson picked up her second RBI double of the game to plate Cid and extend the lead to 6-0. Sievers drove in her second and third runs of the game with a two-run double to right center, driving in Carlson and Bunker.

Cruse continued her hot weekend at the plate with an RBI single to center, scoring Pangilinan with two outs in the third. One batter later, Lexi Wagner crushed her first career home run with a two-run bomb to left field, scoring Cruse and making it 11-0. Maddie Hopper and Vallery Wong added two more runs with RBI singles in the fifth to round out the scoring.

Game 2 Box Score Notes: All 13 of Oregon's runs came with two outs … Four different Ducks drove in multiple runs in the game, led by Sievers' three RBIs … Sievers went a perfect 3-for-3 with a double and three RBIs … Cruse was 2-for-2 with three runs scored, an RBI and a walk … Wagner came off the bench and went 2-for-2 with a home run, two runs scored and two RBIs … Bunker turned in a 2-for-3 day with a pair of runs scored and two RBIs … Carlson delivered two RBI doubles, going 2-for-2 with two runs scored … Brooke Yanez, Samaria Diaz and Makenna Kliethermes combined for a two-hit shutout with eight strikeouts.

Overall Notables: Cruse went 5-for-6 with three RBIs and four runs scored along with a double and triple in the doubleheader … She is 11-for-14 (.786) with nine runs scored and four RBIs in the Mary Nutter Classic … Oregon's six shutouts has already surpassed last year's total of five, just 13 games into the season … The Ducks used all four pitchers on Friday, with the staff combining to allow just one run on nine hits over 12 innings pitched … Sievers finished the doubleheader 4-for-7 with four RBIs.

On Deck: The Ducks will wrap up play at the Mary Nutter Classic by taking on their first ranked opponent of the season in Northwestern at 9:30 a.m.