Just like it opened and shut the door on Portland State, Oregon opened and shut the day with offense.
The Ducks scored five runs in the bottom of the first inning on their way to a 7-2 win in the first game of Wednesday’s doubleheader.
In the second game, No. 20 Oregon loaded the bases in the eighth inning and senior outfielder Amber Hutchison scored the winning run in the Ducks’ 3-2 win.
“It was great to be home and have our offense shine today,” head coach Kathy Arendsen said. “This is a great way to open our home season and I’m very happy with how we played.”
The first game began with solid defense as the Vikings hit into a line-drive out and a groundout. Freshman pitcher Amy Harris struck out the third batter to close the inning.
With one out in the bottom of the first, sophomore second baseman Erin Goodell and freshman outfielder Beth Boskovich earned walks. Sophomore third baseman Ashley Richards followed with a single to score Goodell.
Senior Andrea Vidlund singled to center field, loading the bases for senior first baseman Alyssa Laux. Laux hit a sacrifice fly to score Boskovich.
With two outs and runners still on first and second, junior catcher Jenn Poore hit a home run deep over the left field fence to put Oregon (20-11 overall, 2-5 Pacific-10 Conference) ahead 5-0. Sophomore Mari Lyn Petrick struck out to end the inning.
Portland State (11-17 overall, 3-1 Pacific Coast Softball Conference) answered with one run in the top of the second on a double by Annie Peccia.
In the bottom of the third, the Ducks added two insurance runs on a home run. Richards singled to left and Vidlund hit her third home run of the season — a shot to left field — to close the scoring for Oregon.
The Vikings answered in the top of the fourth when Peccia drove in a run with her second double of the day.
Harris gave up two runs — one unearned — and struck out three batters in four innings.
Sophomore Lindsey Kontra gave up one hit in the last three innings. She also struck out three batters.
In the second game, junior pitcher Anissa Meashintubby had a no-hitter through four innings before the Vikings scored two runs on three hits in the top of the fifth.
Meashintubby pitched six full innings and struck out five batters.
Oregon opened scoring in the bottom of the second when Vidlund scored on a single by Petrick. The Ducks added a run in the fourth on a leadoff, solo home run by Vidlund.
After Portland State tied the game in the fifth, both teams put runners in scoring position but couldn’t score a run.
Vidlund moved from left field to the pitching circle in the top of the seventh. She held the Vikings hitless in her two innings pitched.
“Andrea had a big time game,” Arendsen said. “She had big swings and just as important she threw well.”
In the eighth, as per international rule, Hutchison was placed on second base. After Vidlund walked and senior Janell Bergstrom singled to load the bases, senior Lynsey Haij hit the ball hard to Viking first baseman Rose Rutledge. She mishandled the ball, allowing Haij to reach first safely and Hutchison to score the winning run.
The Ducks remain at home this weekend as Washington and UCLA come to town for three games. Oregon faces the No. 3 Huskies on Friday and the No. 2 Bruins on Saturday and Sunday.
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