The No. 14 Oregon softball team knew its trip this weekend to face No. 7 Arizona State and No. 3 Arizona was going to be a very challenging one.
Suffice to say, the Ducks were correct.
Oregon (38-11, 3-8 Pac-10) went 0-3 against the Sun Devils and Wildcats, managing just eight hits and four runs in the three games.
Oregon has now lost six straight conference games and are seventh, ahead of only Cal, in the standings.
The Ducks entered the game Friday at Arizona State coming off an 11-1 win against Portland State but were quiet nearly all game against the Sun Devils.
Arizona State starting pitcher Katie Burkhart took a perfect game into the seventh inning before Suzie Barnes walked and Jenn Salling’s 11th home run of the season ended the no-hitter and the shutout. The two-run blast cut the Sun Devils’ lead to 4-2, but Oregon would get no more.
The Ducks suffered a similar fate Saturday against Arizona’s Taryne Mowatt, who struck out 15 Oregon batters and gave up just two hits, one coming in the third inning on left fielder Lovena Chaput’s solo home run, which tied the game. But Arizona added one in the fourth and two in the fifth to win 4-1.
Arizona’s bats came alive Sunday. Mowatt was again effective, allowing four hits and one earned run while striking out nine, but Arizona’s offense stole the show with three runs in each of the first two innings against Oregon pitcher Melissa Rice. Arizona managed nine total runs in the 9-1 victory. Oregon’s Suzie Barnes was 2 for 3 with a run scored and Sari-Jane Jenkins recorded an RBI double in the loss.
Rice (20-9) was the only available regular pitcher after ace Alicia Cook did not make the trip because of a recurring illness. She pitched all but one out of the three games, giving up a total of 22 hits and 17 earned runs.
– Luke Andrews