Oregon Softball continues to stick to its pattern.
In most of their wins this season, they’ve been able to build a big enough lead in one or two innings that will carry them throughout the rest of the game. In yesterday’s game against Lindenwood, their explosive fourth inning started off with a double and an error, but in Friday’s game against the Lions, the game immediately started with a triple that led to 13 runs scored in the first two innings and led to a 16-0 win.
Hanna Delgado, who was written in the number one slot in the lineup, started the non-stop Duck scoring with a lead-off triple four pitches into the at-bat. Two pitches later, Kai Luschar slapped an infield RBI single past the shortstop for the first run of the game.
“Having [Luschar] back in the lineup the past two days has been great,” head coach Melyssa Lombardi said. “She’s one of our fastest runners, and to be able to have these short hits and be safe and steal bases afterwards is what we need.”
With two runners on base, Terra McGowan hit an RBI groundout to the shortstop for the second run of the game and was followed by a KK Humphreys double to bring the third runner home.
The senior spotlight of the game, Karrissa Orenelas, drove in Humphreys with another double to center field. Ariel Carlson ended the scoring in the first inning with her third home run of the season to make the score 6-0.
Typically, the Ducks have only needed one inning to build a big enough lead, but today they used two. And during the second inning, Oregon blasted two multiple-run home runs while Orenelas had her second RBI of the day to take a 13-0 lead by the third out.
While Oregon has found its rhythm offensively over the past two games, so has its pitching. Stevie Hansen started on the mound for the Ducks and allowed no hits in three innings before being pulled and replaced by Raegan Breedlove for the final two innings. She allowed three hits and struck out one, but kept the game scoreless.
The scoring slowed down for the Ducks after the second inning, but it didn’t end.
Remmington Hewitt, the freshman infielder, hit her first collegiate home run over the left field wall after an 11 pitch at-bat to add one more run to the scoreboard. Alyssa McDaniell ended the game with a two-run home run for the fifth home run of the game in one of their most active offensive games this season.
“Whether it’s pitching, fielding, hitting, the team loves to do it at The Jane,” Lombardi said. “We’re getting hot and it’s so fun to do it at home.”
After taking a break from Pac-12 opponents, Oregon will head to Tempe to face Arizona State for the first time this season. As the Ducks currently sit in seventh in the conference rankings, the hope is they will jump a couple spots as the Sun Devils are currently unranked in all national polls.
