If there were ever a time for the 13th-ranked Oregon softball team to turn around a slight losing skid,
this is it.
The Ducks (5-3 overall) are on the tails of a two-game losing streak — to No. 8 Michigan 9-0 and to Oklahoma State 3-2 — but head down to California today to play in the UC Riverside Invitational against teams with a combined 3-13 record.
“We never want to split a series and we were pretty upset coming home that we had lost two games,” first baseman Beth Boskovich said. “Especially losing one to an
unranked team and getting shut out by Michigan.”
Center fielder Suzie Barnes,
coming off perhaps the best
offensive weekend of the
sophomore’s collegiate career, echoed Boskovich’s sediments.
“It was frustrating because we know we can compete with Michigan,” Barnes said. “We know we can compete with Oklahoma State, but we just didn’t show it.”
Oregon’s biggest concern, after scoring only two runs in the last two games, is getting more offensive production out of its lineup as well as correcting some of its
defensive woes.
“This (past weekend) just showed us that we’re not there yet,” Boskovich said. “We need to work on our offense and defense to get ready for the Pac-10s.”
One person who doesn’t need to work on her offense is Barnes. She hit her first-career home run during last weekend’s tournament and went on to hit two more.
“I was kind of surprised in myself,” said the 5-foot-4 Barnes. “It’s not my job to hit the bombs.”
Boskovich said the team was also surprised by her offensive output.
“She’s been working real hard and it’s funny to see this little 5-foot nothing dropping bombs left and right,” Boskovich said. “It’s like seeing a little girl driving a huge lifted truck. It makes you laugh.”
Oregon will open the invitational against Portland State today
at 10 a.m.
The Ducks haven’t lost to the Vikings since head coach Kathy Arendsen took over (8-0). Portland State is led offensively by Laura Segall, who is hitting .357
this season.
At noon today, Oregon faces San Diego. The Toreros (1-2) are led on the mound by Erin Harmonson. She is 1-1 this season with six strikeouts and a 1.00 ERA.
Saturday, the Ducks will face host UC Riverside for the second time this season at 2 p.m. Oregon won the first meeting 11-3 at the UNLV Desert Classic on Feb. 12. The Highlanders (1-8) have a tough start to their season, have lost their last six games. Jessica Black leads the team offensively with a .417 batting average.
Oregon shortstop Breanne Sabol has been the hot bat for the Ducks so far this season. The junior is leading the team in hitting with a .545 average and is tied for first in RBIs with six. She also has the team’s longest consecutive starts streak, with today being her 128th consecutive game started.

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