Nikki Udria’s three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth proved to be too much for Arizona State on Saturday at Howe Field. The No. 2-ranked Ducks run-ruled the Sun Devils 12-3 to clinch the series win.
In doing so, the Ducks clinched a series against No. 19 ASU for the first time since 2005.
Karissa Hovinga came in relief during the second inning and did not give up an earned run to improve her record to 9-1. She struck out two and gave up four hits, dropping her ERA on the season to 3.07.
“[Hovinga] came in and did exactly what she’s supposed to do,” head coach Mike White said. “She got ground balls and stopped the bleeding, that’s all that was happening.”
Oregon improves to 34-5, 12-2 Pac-12, while ASU is 27-14, 5-5.
“You never know what coach [Mike] White is going to do,” Hovinga said. “He sometimes puts you in when you think you have no shot of going in. You always have to be ready.”
The Ducks, who have homered in six straight games, attacked in their first chance. With two outs, Hailey Decker and Jenna Lilley drew walks. A Gerri Ann Glasco base hit knocked in Lilley and a Janelle Lindvall hit scored Decker. Lindvall had three of Oregon’s 13 hits.
The Sun Devils answered with two of their own in the top of the second as ASU’s Bethany Kamp clubbed a two-run home run.
The Ducks came back in the bottom of the second with three runs. Danica Mercado was hit by a pitch, Alyssa Gillespie drew a walk and an Udria hit scored Mercado to make it 3-2 Oregon. Janie Takeda knocked in Gillespie and Udria scored on a Lilley sacrifice fly to center field to give the Ducks a 5-2 lead.
“Getting that first few pitches, those first few outs out of the way, I can settle in and be confident,” Hovinga said. “When we put more runs on top of that, it just gets me going even more.”
Oregon would go on to score again in the bottom of the third and fourth. Gillespie had the RBI in the third, while Decker’s hit in the fourth scored Decker to make it a 7-2 advantage for the home team.
A sacrifice fly by Mercado scored Decker to send the Ducks to the fifth leading 8-2. ASU scored once, unearned, on its side of the fifth on after the Ducks committed two errors.
Oregon returned to score in the fifth after Lindvall smacked a single and Costa doubled to set the Ducks up with runners on second and third with nobody out. Stevie Jo Knapp walked and Lindvall scored on a sacrifice fly.
“It’s huge for us,” White said of the series win. “We knew it, that was one of the things we put out in front of them. … They’re a very, very good team and have been for a number of years. This is a big one for us to win a series against ASU.”
The Ducks could sweep the Sun Devils for the first time since 1989 tomorrow, 12 p.m. first pitch. White said Cheridan Hawkins will start for the Ducks.
Follow Jonathan Hawthorne on Twitter @Jon_Hawthorne
