The day opened with another tragic display, anchored by a dismal four errors and a late letdown in a 4-2 loss.
But after a 20-minute break, the Oregon softball team began the second half of its day against Portland State with a newfound resilience, smashing out 11 hits en route to a 7-0 win in game two of a doubleheader at Howe Field Wednesday.
Sophomore second baseman Alyssa Laux, Oregon’s No. 3 hitter, tripled with one out in the bottom of the first to score Lynsey Haij and give the Ducks an early lead in game two.
Laux scored on the next pitch when sophomore Andrea Vidlund laid down a squeeze bunt and reached first on an error. Two batters later, Amber Hutchison’s single scored Vidlund, giving the Ducks a 3-0 lead.
From then on, it was all Connie McMurren.
The junior ace — who has struggled all season to find her rhythm — no-hit Portland State through 3 1/3 innings and finished the game with a five-hit shutout, her first win since March 10. She improved to 9-17 on the year.
“That was definitely something she needed,” said head coach Rick Gamez of McMurren’s seven-strikeout, one-walk performance. “After throwing last weekend at Washington, she was a little bit disappointed, but she threw very well today and that’s going to help her confidence going into this weekend.
“We’ve expected that from her all year long, but obviously it hasn’t happened for all of us. It is good to see that she still has that in her.”
The Ducks (28-37 overall, 1-17 Pacific-10 Conference) added two more runs in the third inning on a Laux double down the right-field line, scoring Lisa Wangler and Haij.
“The big key was just making the routine plays,” said Laux, who finished the day 4 for 6 with five RBI.
Freshman Kate Peterson hit a two-run home run in the sixth to put the Ducks ahead 7-0. McMurren started a 1-6-3 double play in the top of the seventh to end the game.
“It was nice to go out together and hit the ball, which we’ve been struggling with lately,” Peterson said. “I was seeing the ball well all day and just needed to connect right. It felt good to see it and rip it.”
In game one, Haij doubled in two runs to put the Ducks up 2-0 in the third.
Oregon freshman pitcher Anissa Meashintubby held Portland State (23-36 overall) scoreless until the fifth inning, when Kiauna Anderson — the key to the Vikings’ sweep over the Ducks earlier this season — singled in a run to cut the Ducks’ lead to 2-1.
In the next inning, the Vikings scored three runs on a Meashintubby throwing error to come from behind and win, 4-2.
All of Portland State’s runs were unearned. Meashintubby, who struck out six while allowing eight hits, fell to 4-2 on the season.
Morgan Seibert (17-19) picked up the win for Portland State.
With the victory in the first game, the Vikings took three of four games from the Ducks this season, their first series win against Oregon since 1985.
Hutchison was 5 for 6 on the day with a double, one RBI and one run scored.
To conclude the season, Oregon hosts No. 5 California Friday and No. 4 Stanford for a doubleheader Saturday.