Softball splits weekend against UA, ASU
No. 20 Oregon upsets No. 12
Arizona State with a two
game sweep at Howe Field
Softball
Mindi Rice
Sports Reporter
“Why not us?” softball head coach
Kathy Arendsen asked. “When we
play together and confidently, we
can beat anybody.”
Arendsen, who won her 400th
career game as head coach on Sun
day, says that No. 20 Oregon (28-15
overall, 6-9 Pacific-10 Conference)
is doing just that — playing togeth
er and confidently — as evidenced
by the Ducks’ weekend sweep of
No. 12 Arizona State.
An 8-0 loss to No. 1 Arizona on
Friday preceded the wins on Satur
day, 5-2, and Sunday, 3-0.
Senior third baseman Lynsey
Haij’s grand slam propelled Oregon
on Saturday, while senior left fielder
and pitcher Andrea Vidlund hit her
ninth home run of the season on
Sunday and earned both saves.
“It always feels better to win at
home, to have fans supporting you
and people cheering you on,” Vid
lund said. “It really gives us a confi
dence boost, and now we have that
same confidence going on the road
this weekend.”
The Ducks started off on a treach
erous path Friday. After freshman
pitcher Amy Harris walked the first
two Arizona batters she faced, Wild
cat shortstop Lovie Jung drove in a
runner for the early 1-0 lead in the
first inning.
In the second inning, Jung took
advantage of a bases-loaded at bat
with her NCAA-leading 23rd home
run of the season. Arizona added two
runs in the fourth for the 8-0
shutout.
“As good as Arizona is, we’re dis
appointed,” Arendsen said Friday.
“We’re a better ballclub than
we showed.”
Oregon bounced back Saturday
against Arizona State.
In the bottom of the fifth, the
Ducks started a one-out rally with
sophomore second baseman Erin
Goodell’s base on balls. Freshman
shortstop Breanne Sabol followed
with a sacrifice bunt attempt but was
safe on an off-target throw.
Senior Amber Hutchison singled
to center field, advancing the run
ners to second and third.
Arizona State tried to stop the
damage with a pitching change, but
Haij sent Sun Devil pitcher Desiree
Serrano’s second pitch over the wall
in center field for her first career
grand slam.
Freshman right fielder Beth
Boskovich kept the rally alive with
a walk. She then scored on senior
first baseman Alyssa Laux’s two
out double.
Arizona State answered with a
two-run home run in the top of the
sixth, but Vidlund held the Sun Dev
ils scoreless in the top of the seventh
for the save. Oregon’s errorless de
fense contributed to the 5-2 win.
“Our team has a tremendous
amount of character,” Arendsen
said Saturday. “I’m really proud of
that whole inning. Suddenly we’re
getting quality at-bat after quality
at-bat, and Lynsey caps it off with a
grand slam.”
Sunday, the Ducks picked up their
sixth Pac-10 win of the season with
a 3-0 shutout of Arizona State.
In the bottom of the second, jun
ior catcher Jenn Poore singled to
center. Poore moved up to second
when senior center fielder Janell
Bergstrom was hit by a Serrano
pitch. Goodell attempted a sacrifice
bunt and was safe on the play as Ser
rano made an off-target throw. The
misplayed bunt allowed Poore to
score for the early 1-0 lead.
The game continued as a pitchers’
duel between Serrano and Harris un
til the top of the sixth, when Vidlund
relieved Harris with no outs and a
runner on first. After a groundout,
Phelan Wright singled, advancing
Valerie Sevilla to second.
The Arizona State rally was halted
when Adriana Garcia hit the ball
straight back to Vidlund, who threw
to Sabol, who in turn successfully
completed the double play to Laux
to end the inning.
Vidlund answered her defense
with offense in the bottom of the
sixth, padding Oregon’s lead with a
leadoff home run.
Two batters later, Poore doubled
to center, then advanced to third on
a wild pitch. She then scored on
Bergstrom’s single, giving Oregon a
3-0 cushion.
“I’m just thrilled,” Arendsen said.
“It’s another series win and a quality
win. The players just did a great job.”
Vidlund earned her eighth save of
the season — a Pac-10 single-season
Adam Amato Emerald
Freshman shortstop Breanne Sabol helped end a sixth-inning rally by Arizona State on Sunday in a double play (top). Senior third
baseman Lynsey Haij led the Ducks on Saturday with her first career grand slam and second home run of the season (bottom).
record, as well as giving Oregon 12
saves on the season, tying a Pac-10
single-season team record.
“I don’t know how big saves are in
the Pac-10, or in softball in general,
but it’s always an honor to win any
thing,” Vidlund said.
The Ducks have the week to prac
tice before their last conference road
trip of the season on Friday. Oregon
travels to UCLA for one game Friday
before heading to Washington for
two games on Saturday and Sunday.
Contact the sports reporter
at mindirice@dailyemerald.com.
Women's
continued from page 11
snapshot finish in the 200. “Every
race I’ve been improving and I was
so relaxed and got out well. ”
To round out the personal records,
senior Alicia Snyder-Carlson im
proved 10 seconds in the steeple
chase. Even after starting the race
with the leader, Northern Arizona’s
Ida Nilsson who won in 10:05.90, the
Hawaii native finished in 10:57.72,
earning an NCAA regional mark.
“She didn’t have any idea what she
was doing; she went out with Nilsson,
who’s run 9:49,” Heinonen said. “She
got the mark and she hasn’t practiced
any of this. She hung in there. ”
In competition off the track, the
Ducks didn’t fare nearly as well.
In the hammer, Oregon’s top finish
er was junior Jill Hoxmeier in eighth.
Senior Jordan Sauvage failed to make
the final round cut as her mark was 36
feet shy of her personal best.
Redshirt senior Niki McEwen won
the pole vault at 13 feet, 11/2 inches,
rather disappointing for someone
who has jumped 14-1 1/4 this sea
son. Redshirt senior Becky Holliday
no-heighted after spraining an ankle
in warm-ups and missing her initial
jump at 13-11/2.
Oregon had no competitors in Sat
urday’s javelin competition. Assistant
coach Sally Harmon made the deci
sion to pull sophomores Elisa Crum
ley and Roslyn Lundeen to save them
for next week’s Oregon Twilight.
The Ducks walked away with
some mild heartache but also huge
personal bests. Oregon’s track ath
letes were not about to let the
weather stop them whereas the field
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events were spoiled.
“A good share of the day was ru
ined by the weather,” Heinonen
said. “You got to know how to com
pete. You got to compete when the
weather is crummy and I thought we
did a really good job of that.”
Contact the sports reporter
at jessethomas@dailyemerald.com.
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