Cal wasted no time building on Friday’s offensive onslaught. With two outs in the first inning, Friday night’s star Sona Halajian followed Acacia Anders’ solo shot with one of her own putting the Golden Bears up two.
Unlike Friday, the Ducks offense responded swiftly with a three-run first inning of their own to claim the lead and continued to give run support to Stevie Hansen –– who, despite giving up three home runs, improved to 7-0, striking out six in 5 2/3 innings pitched in an 8-6 Oregon victory.
“This team has responded every time we have challenged,” associate head coach Sam Marder said. “It was from each other; we had no doubt we were going to come out a different team today.”
The Ducks built a sizable lead, taking advantage of Cal errors and wild pitches.
Kai Luschar reached first on a high-bouncing chopper to third. Allee Bunker followed with a single to advance her hitting streak to 19 games and move Lushcar to second. Hanna Delgado loaded the bases with no outs on a two-strike bunt, improving her hitting streak to 14 games before Ariel Carlson brought Luschar and Bunker home on an RBI single up the middle. Vallery Wong followed with an RBI double scoring Delgado while Carlson was thrown out at the dish.
In the second, Gabby Herrera reached on an error and scored on a Bunker double after advancing to second on a Luschar sacrifice bunt. Bunker would score for the second time on one of four Oregon runs by wild pitch.
“She was kinda struggling to find the zone,” Bunker said. “We were even more alert and ready to take the next base.”
Carlson galvanized the Oregon defense, earning the first out of the third by covering right field to catch a foul ball before crashing into the visitor bullpen. Tatum Anzaldo homered for the Golden Bears, cutting the Oregon lead to 5-3 before Hansen settled in, getting the last two batters of the inning to pop out.
After a clean one-two-three fourth inning to seemingly conclude Hansen’s afternoon, the Oregon offense tacked on one more run. Luschar scored with the bases loaded on another wild pitch before the Ducks reloaded the bases for Jasmine Williams, who stranded three.
Jordan Dail –– who was credited with the loss Friday, giving up four hits –– relieved Hansen in the fifth with a perfect inning of her own, preserving a 6-3 Oregon lead.
The Golden Bears’ Haylei Archer –– who went the distance despite struggling with her control all afternoon, walking six and hitting one batter –– got out of another bases loaded situation in the fifth, but not before allowing Rachel Cid to score on another wild pitch, growing the Oregon lead to 7-3.
Dail started the sixth in the pitcher’s circle before being pulled in favor of Makenna Kliethermes after hitting Anders and Halijian and walking Kacey Zobac to load the bases.
Kliethermes hit the first batter she faced, advancing Anders from third to score. Halajian then scored on a fielder’s choice as the Ducks took an out at second before pinch hitter Sophie Medellin singled up the middle to cut the Oregon lead to one.
“We were like, okay, we need to shut this down,” Bunker said. “Even though it got a little bit out of hand at times, we were able to know that we had to reel it in.”
With the game back in limbo, Melyssa Lombardi turned to Hansen to finish the job she started. Striking out the last two batters of the sixth looking, the Oregon lead remained intact. Hansen closed the game in the seventh, getting a pop out and two groundouts as the Ducks evened the series at 1-1.
“I was like ‘these girls have worked their butts off,’” Hansen said. “Coming in again, I was like ‘I want to fight for these girls.’”
Oregon and Cal softball will face off one last time Sunday, March 27 at noon at Jane Sanders Stadium.
