Oregon ace Stevie Hansen entered the sixth inning with a three run lead, having given up only one hit: a solo shot to Arizona State center fielder Jazmine Hill. 

Hansen did not make it through the sixth after a miscommunication on a foul ball and a dropped fly to right allowed the Sun Devils to extend a momentous inning. They scored six runs, changing the complexion of the game and handing the Ducks their fifth straight loss 9-3 at Jane Sanders Stadium. 

“I thought she [Hansen] gave us a chance to win all night long,” Oregon head coach Melyssa Lombardi said. “Even in the sixth… she gave us a chance.”

Oregon built a lead in the second and third innings. In each, the Ducks scored two runs. 

In the second, Jas Williams reached base on an error and scored from first on a two-out double by KK Humphreys. The next batter, Paige Sinicki, dropped a blooper single over the first baseman into shallow right field, scoring Humphreys before Allee Bunker popped out to end the inning, stranding two. 

“We have runners on, we have an opportunity to score, we need to cash in,” Lombardi said. 

Rachel Cid led off the third with a single before being replaced by pinch runner Gabby Herrera. Terra McGowan, who played her second game since being reactivated following a hand injury, followed with a single of her own to put two on. 

Staying aggressive on the base paths as the Ducks have done all season, McGowan and Herrera executed a double steal which scored Herrera as an errant throw from home to third dribbled into left field, creating an opportunity to come home.

In the fateful top of the sixth inning, Sun Devil third baseman Savannah Price led off with a single. From there, the No. 5 team in home runs received a boost from Alynah Torres, who crushed a two-run shot to bring ASU within one. 

Yannira Acuna reached second on an uncharacteristic dropped routine fly ball by Ariel Carlson before advancing to third on a fly out to right field. After one of Hansen’s eight strikeouts in the evening, a single and a walk loaded the bases. Hansen walked Makenna Harper, scoring Acuna, before Jessica Puk singled to right, scoring one and ending Hansen’s night in the pitching circle. 

Jordan Dail came on in relief, but not before allowing a run-scoring single to Mailey McLemore. 

“You look at the game, it’s one inning,” Lombardi said. “That’s it… Games like this, they are tough, they hurt.”

The Oregon offense failed to produce any runs in the sixth or seventh innings. In the top of the seventh, Hill homered for the second time. A two-run bomb scored Acuna and extended the Sun Devil to 9-5.

“It stings… I back these girls 100% and I know they have my back,” Hansen said. “This game is made on mistakes and failures. I know we are going to come back tomorrow with more fight.”

The Ducks will look to bounce back Saturday afternoon as they host Arizona State one last time in the series.