The Ducks snapped their three-game losing streak with a win Friday, tying their Pacific-10 Conference win total from the 2002 season.
No. 21 Oregon (18-11 overall, 2-5 Pac-10) won two conference games after only five Pac-10 battles for the first time since 1999, when the Ducks were 3-2 after five Pac-10 games.
Oregon had lost three straight games for the first time this season going into Friday’s matchup against No. 12 Stanford. The Ducks stretched a two-hour and 50-minute game into a 10 inning, 3-2 win against the Cardinal.
Stanford (28-14, 2-4) scored first with one run in the first inning, but Oregon junior catcher Jenn Poore hit a two-run home run — her first of the season — to left field in the top of the second inning.
Stanford came back to tie in the bottom of the second with a solo home run. Oregon pitchers Amy Harris, a freshman, and senior Andrea Vidlund held Stanford scoreless over the next eight innings, combining for eight strikeouts during the game.
In the top of the 10th, senior first baseman Alyssa Laux hit a two-out single, scoring Poore for the winning run. Vidlund closed the game, earning the win.
“This was an outstanding win for us today,” head coach Kathy Arendsen said Friday. “Our defense was excellent, our pitching was tremendous and we were able to get key hits when we needed them. I’m extremely pleased with how we played today.”
The win marked the team’s second victory in a row at Stanford. The Ducks ended their 2002 season with a 4-0 win against the Cardinal.
Saturday did not hold the same fate as Friday for Oregon, as the Ducks were held scoreless by a top-10 team for the second time in one week.
No. 7 California (32-9, 4-2) gave up only two hits to Oregon in the Bears’ 4-0 win. Oregon had its sixth errorless game of the season, but the Bears scored two runs in the third and added two more in the fifth to end the Ducks’ hopes for consecutive wins.
“I thought we came out strong again defensively and pitched well again,” Arendsen said Saturday. “We just need to be more consistent and string together strong offensive games in back-to-back appearances.”
Oregon’s two hits came from Vidlund and senior Janell Bergstrom. Both teams only walked two batters each during the game.
The Ducks faced off against the Bears again Sunday, managing one run in a 4-1 loss.
California opened the scoring with one run in the second on a throwing error.
The Ducks came back in the top of the third. Freshman Breanne Sabol hit a two-out single, and both Laux and senior Amber Hutchison followed with walks.
Freshman shortstop Beth Boskovich hit a single to left field, allowing Sabol to score from third base. Laux was thrown out at home attempting to score from second, ending the inning.
Harris pitched 4 2/3 innings, striking out three batters and earning the loss. Junior Anissa Meashintubby relieved Harris, facing the last seven batters. Harris is 6-8 on the season after starting all three games over the weekend.
California and Oregon met in the championship game of the National Invitational Softball Tournament earlier this season. California came away with the 6-0 win in that game.
Oregon opens its home season on Wednesday afternoon in a doubleheader against Portland State. The games were rescheduled after rain and wind postponed them from March 15. The Ducks then host Pac-10 rivals Washington and UCLA for three games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.