With a day between doubleheaders against Portland State, the Oregon softball team took a much needed day
off Tuesday.
After five games on the road in five days — Washington on Friday, two against UCLA during the weekend, and two at Portland State on Monday — the Ducks (19-22 overall, 0-12 Pacific-10 Conference) will host the Vikings (17-24, 6-8 Western Athletic Conference) in a doubleheader beginning 2 p.m. today at Howe Field.
Monday’s doubleheader, which was rescheduled due to an April 10 rainout, was split by the two teams. Oregon won the first game 6-0, and the Vikings fought back with a shutout of their own in the second, 2-0. The win in the first game broke Oregon’s 12-game losing streak that began March 29 against Oregon State. All 12 losses came at the hands of nationally ranked Pac-10 opponents.
Oregon head coach Brent Rincon said that even though he expected the games against Portland State to be just as competitive as any of the games the team has played, he has been looking forward to playing today’s games to “get back to the things we do well” and to help the team prepare for three upcoming games against the Arizona schools beginning Friday.
Today’s two games bring Oregon’s recent game tally to seven games in six days. Portland State has been just as busy this week with three doubleheaders in three days. The Vikings faced No. 14 Oregon State for two at Erv Lind Stadium on Tuesday between their meetings with Oregon.
With the loss of the second game on Monday, Rincon was disappointed by his team’s performance.
“We’re going to look for a much better effort with intensity to get some wins under our belt,” he said.
Oregon exploded for six runs off of Portland State’s all-time strike out leader Morgan Seibert in Game 1 on Monday but failed to score off of the Viking’s Nichole Ivie in Game 2.
“Our team just lost intensity from the first to the second game,” junior Amber Hutchison said. “Everyone was really on (against Seibert).”
Hutchison said that the Ducks failed to make the needed adjustments against Ivie.
Portland State has won four of the last six meetings between the two schools.
E-mail sports reporter Chris Cabot
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