The low-point of the season is becoming a distant memory for the Oregon softball team.
Oregon’s latest win, an 8-4 triumph over Portland State on Wednesday at Howe Field, featured a breakout performance by the Ducks’ offense heading into this weekend’s three-games with the Bay Area schools.
Just two weeks ago, the Ducks lost 3-1 to Oregon State in Corvallis and held an emotional players-only meeting afterward. Oregon had dropped to 1-9 in the Pacific-10 Conference and lost its fourth straight game in conference play.
With a goal this season of making it back to the NCAA Tournament, Oregon appeared destined for an early offseason.
The win Wednesday is part of a late-season push by the Ducks (31-22, 3-11), featuring wins over then No. 11 Arizona, Oregon State and now Portland State.
The reason for the turnaround, left fielder Sari-Jane Jenkins said, is simple.
“Honestly, kind of the heartache of losing some games that we should have won in the past,” she said. “I don’t even think a lot of us realized that we have two weekends left until postseason.”
Oregon still needs more wins over the next seven home games to make postseason play a reality, with coach Kathy Arendsen saying she thinks three might do it, while hoping for five or more. This weekend brings a stiff challenge with No. 8 Stanford coming on Friday and No. 22 California playing games here on Saturday and Sunday.
Jenkins shared the sentiments of shortstop Lovena Chaput, who was one of the seniors who led the team meeting in Corvallis.
“It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish the season,” Jenkins said. “We’ve had a lot of times this season where we started momentum, then got dropped down a couple steps.”
Oregon rotated offensive success in place of its usually solid pitching Wednesday with eight runs in the first two innings that led to two Portland State pitching changes.
“I think everybody was just relaxed,” Chaput said.
Chaput jump started the scoring in the first inning with a bunt that the pitcher fielded and overthrew the first baseman, allowing Jenkins and Neena Bryant to score. Although Portland State knotted it at two in the top of the second inning, Oregon put it out of reach in the bottom half.
Jenkins stepped to the plate with two runners on base and proceeded to hit a double to the gap in left-center field that scored Carlyn Re and Hannah Barril. Barril started in place of regular second baseman Cortney Kivett.
Portland State switched pitchers from starter Meghan Gendron to Nicole Latham. Ashley Kivett came up next and hit a double to left field. After a Bryant ground out, Chaput creamed a pitch over the right field wall for a three-run shot. Monique Fuiava completed Oregon’s scoring in the following at-bat with a first pitch home run over the left field wall.
“Now we’re starting to realize the season’s coming to a close and we need to be on the rise for postseason,” Chaput said.
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