Saturday, March 9
Eugene, OR
2:00 PM
University of Oregon
14-9, 0
5
vs
2
California
21-4, 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
California
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
2
7
2
Oregon
0
0
2
2
1
0
X
5
8
0
Photo by: Molly McPherson
Speed, Pitching, Defense Key Series Win over No.15 Cal
03/09/24 | Softball
EUGENE, Ore. – Oregon set the tone in the top of the first inning by turning a double play on a sacrifice bunt and got solid pitching from Elise Sokolsky and Morgan Scott to defeat No. 15 California, 5-2, and win the weekend series with the Bears two-to-one Saturday at Jane Sanders Stadium.
The Ducks (14-9, 2-1) used their speed to pressure the Bears (21-3, 1-2) all game, including a pair of double steals, and capitalized on errant throws and wild pitches to pull away in the middle innings.
"We always talk about how defense wins championships," said coach Melyssa Lombardi. "Our defense is super-talented and they set the tone today.
"I thought Elise was excellent today, coming in getting three innings for us," said Lombardi. "Then Morgan coming in and finishing it up. Our pitching staff over the weekend was a really big part of what we did this weekend because of the depth that we have there."
How it Happened: A rare 2-4-6 double play energized the Ducks in the top of the first inning.
Tatum Anzaldo led off with a single for Cal. Lagi Quiroga then dropped down a sacrifice bunt that was fielded by catcher Emma Kauf. Kauf threw to KK Humphreys covering first for one out and then Humphreys fired across the diamond to Katie Flannery to nail Anzaldo who was trying to sneak into third.
The Ducks scored the game's first run on a squeeze play in the bottom of the third inning. With one out, Kai Luschar and Ariel Carlson singled. The two then executed a double steal, putting runners in scoring position for Alyssa Daniell. For the second time in a week, Daniell dropped down a perfect squeeze bunt and Luschar beat the throw home from the pitcher for a 1-0 Oregon lead.
"In the beginning of the year, it was my goal to get a certain amount of stolen bases," said Luschar. "I don't really notice, but each game I want to get one stolen base. That's my goal."
Carlson moved to third on the play and later came home on a sacrifice fly off the bat of KK Humphreys for a 2-0 lead.
Meanwhile, Sokolsky retired seven of the first eight batters she faced and pitched the Ducks into the fourth inning. Sokolsky gave up just one run on four hits.
Scott came out of the bullpen after Sokolsky walked the leadoff batter in the top of the fourth. That runner came around to score on a sacrifice fly, cutting Oregon's lead to 2-1, but the Ducks responded in the bottom half of the inning.
Oregon took advantage of Cal's mistakes to add to their lead. Katie Flannery reached base on an error at shortstop and was lifted for pinch-runner Ayanna Shaw. Paige Sinicki sacrificed Shaw to second. Hanna Delgado walked and Luschar singled to shallow center field to load the bases.
Carlson struck out swinging but the throw by the catcher to pick off Shaw at third was off-target and Shaw raced home on the error as the other runners also moved up a base. Delgado then came home from third on a wild pitch to increase Oregon's lead to 4-1.
Flannery's first career hit played a role in the Ducks' final run of the game.
Kauf singled and then Flannery, a freshman from Birmingham, Ala., dropped a base hit into center field that moved Kauf to second. One out later, Delgado singled through the hole on the right side to bring Kauf around to score from second.
Cal got a run back on a home run in the top of the sixth, the only run allowed by Scott in the final four innings of the game.
Scott was unfazed by the long ball.
"My whole mentality since it is my last year is 'I don't care' basically," said Scott. "It doesn't matter, it wasn't going to affect anything that I was doing at that point. Going in with my best because any day I believe in that."
Scott gave up just three hits, struck out two and didn't walk any batters to improve to 5-4 on the season.
Defense Perfect Again
It was the fifth consecutive error-free game for the Ducks, who increased their national top-10 fielding percentage to .985 on the season.
"We work on defense so much as a team and I feel like it is all coming together in every aspect for the Ducks," said Luschar. "It feels good having a good throw, you don't get very many opportunities to get that, so it just gives you a little bit more confidence."
Quotable
Head Coach Melyssa Lombardi
"For us as a team, we have to understand whatever the game is asking for and give it. Today it was asking for small ball so we as a team had to look where we can give it. One thing we do know is we have speed."
Noteworthy: Carlson, Kauf and Luschar each had a hit in all three games of the series. Those three all had two-hit games on Saturday … Luschar stole her league-best 16th base of the season and leads the conference with 37 hits … Carlson paced the Ducks in the Cal series by hitting .500 (5-for-10) with a double, two home runs and three RBI. She also stole two bases … Kauf and Luschar both hit .400 (4-of-10) for the series.
On Deck: Oregon visits Utah for a three-game series that begins Friday.
- www.GoDucks.com -
The Ducks (14-9, 2-1) used their speed to pressure the Bears (21-3, 1-2) all game, including a pair of double steals, and capitalized on errant throws and wild pitches to pull away in the middle innings.
"We always talk about how defense wins championships," said coach Melyssa Lombardi. "Our defense is super-talented and they set the tone today.
"I thought Elise was excellent today, coming in getting three innings for us," said Lombardi. "Then Morgan coming in and finishing it up. Our pitching staff over the weekend was a really big part of what we did this weekend because of the depth that we have there."
How it Happened: A rare 2-4-6 double play energized the Ducks in the top of the first inning.
Tatum Anzaldo led off with a single for Cal. Lagi Quiroga then dropped down a sacrifice bunt that was fielded by catcher Emma Kauf. Kauf threw to KK Humphreys covering first for one out and then Humphreys fired across the diamond to Katie Flannery to nail Anzaldo who was trying to sneak into third.
The Ducks scored the game's first run on a squeeze play in the bottom of the third inning. With one out, Kai Luschar and Ariel Carlson singled. The two then executed a double steal, putting runners in scoring position for Alyssa Daniell. For the second time in a week, Daniell dropped down a perfect squeeze bunt and Luschar beat the throw home from the pitcher for a 1-0 Oregon lead.
"In the beginning of the year, it was my goal to get a certain amount of stolen bases," said Luschar. "I don't really notice, but each game I want to get one stolen base. That's my goal."
Carlson moved to third on the play and later came home on a sacrifice fly off the bat of KK Humphreys for a 2-0 lead.
Meanwhile, Sokolsky retired seven of the first eight batters she faced and pitched the Ducks into the fourth inning. Sokolsky gave up just one run on four hits.
Scott came out of the bullpen after Sokolsky walked the leadoff batter in the top of the fourth. That runner came around to score on a sacrifice fly, cutting Oregon's lead to 2-1, but the Ducks responded in the bottom half of the inning.
Oregon took advantage of Cal's mistakes to add to their lead. Katie Flannery reached base on an error at shortstop and was lifted for pinch-runner Ayanna Shaw. Paige Sinicki sacrificed Shaw to second. Hanna Delgado walked and Luschar singled to shallow center field to load the bases.
Carlson struck out swinging but the throw by the catcher to pick off Shaw at third was off-target and Shaw raced home on the error as the other runners also moved up a base. Delgado then came home from third on a wild pitch to increase Oregon's lead to 4-1.
Flannery's first career hit played a role in the Ducks' final run of the game.
Kauf singled and then Flannery, a freshman from Birmingham, Ala., dropped a base hit into center field that moved Kauf to second. One out later, Delgado singled through the hole on the right side to bring Kauf around to score from second.
Cal got a run back on a home run in the top of the sixth, the only run allowed by Scott in the final four innings of the game.
Scott was unfazed by the long ball.
"My whole mentality since it is my last year is 'I don't care' basically," said Scott. "It doesn't matter, it wasn't going to affect anything that I was doing at that point. Going in with my best because any day I believe in that."
Scott gave up just three hits, struck out two and didn't walk any batters to improve to 5-4 on the season.
Defense Perfect Again
It was the fifth consecutive error-free game for the Ducks, who increased their national top-10 fielding percentage to .985 on the season.
"We work on defense so much as a team and I feel like it is all coming together in every aspect for the Ducks," said Luschar. "It feels good having a good throw, you don't get very many opportunities to get that, so it just gives you a little bit more confidence."
Quotable
Head Coach Melyssa Lombardi
"For us as a team, we have to understand whatever the game is asking for and give it. Today it was asking for small ball so we as a team had to look where we can give it. One thing we do know is we have speed."
Noteworthy: Carlson, Kauf and Luschar each had a hit in all three games of the series. Those three all had two-hit games on Saturday … Luschar stole her league-best 16th base of the season and leads the conference with 37 hits … Carlson paced the Ducks in the Cal series by hitting .500 (5-for-10) with a double, two home runs and three RBI. She also stole two bases … Kauf and Luschar both hit .400 (4-of-10) for the series.
On Deck: Oregon visits Utah for a three-game series that begins Friday.
- www.GoDucks.com -
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Scott, Morgan (5-4)
L: Haylei Archer (3-1)
Batting:
HR: Elon Butler 1
RBI: Elon Butler 1 ; Alyssa Herrera 1
SH: Lagi Quiroga 1 ; Tianna Bell 1
SF: Alyssa Herrera 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Acacia Anders 1 ; Elon Butler 1
CS: Kyndal Todd 1
Batting:
RBI: Daniell, Alyssa 1 ; Humphreys, KK 1 ; Delgado, Hanna 1
SH: Daniell, Alyssa 1 ; Sinicki, Paige 1
SF: Humphreys, KK 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Luschar, Kai 1 ; Carlson, Ariel 1 ; Kauf, Emma 1 ; Shaw, Ayanna 1 ; Delgado, Hanna 1
SB: Luschar, Kai 1 ; Carlson, Ariel 2
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
RHP
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