The quick sand has just thickened for the No. 17 Oregon softball team.
With only five conference games left, the Ducks find themselves in the midst of a four-game losing streak.
The Ducks (33-22 overall, 5-10 Pacific-10 Conference) dropped both games of a doubleheader Tuesday to No. 14 Oregon State (36-14-1, 6-8), 3-1 in the first game and 2-1 in the second.
Oregon managed only nine hits all day as it continued to be mired in a hitting slump. During last weekend’s homestand, the Ducks only managed eight hits in three games.
“It’s just a matter of not producing when we need to,” head coach Rick Gamez said in a released statement. “We are not going to get many wins when our lineup can’t produce when we need them to. We left 17 runners on base today [total] and that’s not going to beat anybody, let alone Oregon State.”
In game two, Oregon State used three one-run innings to get the best of the Ducks. In the first inning, the Beavers put runners on second and third with one out. Brynnen Guthrie scored on a Shelly Prochaska ground out, and the Beavers took a 1-0 lead.
In the third, the Beavers again got to starter Andrea Vidlund (16-6) for a run. Tarrah Beyster belted her 50th home run of her career to push the lead to 2-0. Then in the fourth inning, Oregon State got its final run via an error.
Cara Maxey and Michelle Chariton both singled to start the rally with two outs. Maxey advanced to third on an error by Alyssa Laux and then scored on an error by Lindsey Welch one batter later.
The Ducks got their only run in the top of fifth when sophomore Missy Coe led off with her ninth home run of the season.
Welch continued the rally for the Ducks with a single one out later and Triawn Custer followed with a single of her own. With runners on first and second and only one out, Vidlund grounded into a fielder’s choice to put runners on first and third. But the Ducks were unable to score as Vidlund was tagged out at second when Amber Hutchinson grounded into another fielder’s choice.
In all, the Ducks stranded 11 runners while getting six hits against Crystal Draper and Tarah Beyster (24-9) who got wins in both halves of the twin bill.

“Beyster is tough, but we knew that going in,” Gamez said. “We had our chances, but it has been the same story with us — we can drive the runs in when we need them most.”
Game 1 was no different for the visiting Ducks as Beyster held them to only one run on three hits for her second win of the day.
Oregon State got on the board first in the bottom of the third when Guthrie singled to center field to score Traci Feldt from third with two outs. Feldt started the rally by reaching on an error and was moved around to third without the benefit of a Beaver hit out of the infield.
In the fourth, Oregon State added an insurance run on a Parisa Plant single to score Jennie Jodoin. Oregon starter Connie McMurren (14-15) issued a free pass to Jodoin, a Eugene-native and former high school teammate of McMurren.
That second run would prove to be the winning run as the Ducks got a single run in the sixth. Laux started the inning with a single to left field and moved to second when Welch walked. Senior Jill Robinson then drove in Laux from second with a single for her 41st RBI of the year.
Both McMurren and Vidlund continued their strong pitching with complete games, but again only picked up a couple of losses for their efforts. McMurren held the Beavers to four hits, and Vidlund threw six strong innings in the second contest of the afternoon.
“Our pitching kept us in the games, and we can’t fault them for our latest losses,” Gamez said. “Connie gave up just four hits and only one run was earned, and Andrea threw a good game as well, good enough to win if we drive in some runs.
“It is really frustrating for them to sit in the dugout and watch hitter after hitter go down. They are doing their jobs, it seems at the time that nobody else is doing theirs.”
By dropping these games, the Ducks continue to put themselves in a hole, and the road doesn’t get much easier for the team as both No. 9 California and No. 11 Stanford travel to Howe Field this weekend for a three-game set.
However, the last time Oregon faced the teams from the Bay Area, it came away with a sweep.
“I truly hope we can get our heads on right and find a way to fight through this,” Gamez said. “We have a tough stretch coming up and we need to be thinking wins. I know we can get it back, but now we are running out of time and opportunities.
“I hope things change before Friday.”