When Jessica Moore wasn’t exactly at her best physically, the Oregon offense was there to pick her up in a major way. @@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=4375&SPID=245&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=204763349&Q_SEASON=2011@@
The Ducks scored six runs in the bottom of the first inning and held off a late Portland State surge to claim a 7-3 victory in the opening round of the NCAA Softball Tournament Thursday night at Howe Field.@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPID=245&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205428710@@
With Moore (28-12) battling sinus complications, the 11th-seeded Oregon softball team rallied around the two-time first-team all-Pac-12 performer to the tune of six run on six hits to knock Portland State starter Anna Bertrand out of the game with two outs in the bottom of the first inning.
“Obviously the first inning was huge,” Oregon head coach Mike White said. “First of all, shutting them out in the first inning, and making the most of our opportunities to put the pressure on straight away.”
Bertrand (22-12) was the unanimous choice for pitcher of the year in the Pacific Coast Softball Conference Mountain Division after leading the Vikings to the conference title last weekend. However, her first appearance against the Ducks this season didn’t quite go as planned on Thursday night. @@http://www.goviks.com/news/2012/5/17/SB_0517124037.aspx@@
Samantha Pappas led off the first with single and Kaylan Howard smacked a standup double to right center on the ensuing at-bat. Pappas was thrown at out home on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Kelsey Chambers for the first out of the inning before Bertrand really ran into trouble. @@ names: http://www.goducks.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&SPID=245&SPSID=4375@@
Junior pitcher Jessica Moore delivers during the first inning at Howe Field during the NCAA Softball Championships. Oregon defeated Portland State 7-3. (Michael Arellano/Oregon Daily Emerald)
With the bases loaded, Kailee Cuico and Christie Nieto reached base on a walk and hit-by-pitch, respectively, the latter plating Howard for the first run of the game. Sophomore Alexa Peterson followed with a two-run double to centerfield to give Oregon a 3-0 advantage.
Moore then helped her own cause with an RBI bunt-single during the next at-bat, and Janie Takeda capped the frame with a two-run single that plated Moore and Peterson to go ahead 6-0.
“Anna Bertrand is certainly a very, very good pitcher, and she could definitely play for most teams in this country,” White said. “It was one of those games where we kind of knew it would be a tough one with her out there and the mound, and I was real happy to come out of that first inning with six runs and set the tone for the rest of the game.”
Portland State got all three of its runs off the bat of senior first baseman Karmen Holladay, who recorded a two-out RBI single in the top of the third and a two-out, two-run double in the fifth. She finished the game 2-for-3 with three RBIs, and Becca Bliss went 2-for-3 with two runs scored to lead the Vikings at the plate. @@http://www.goviks.com/news/2012/5/18/SB_0518122044.aspx@@ @@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPID=245&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205428710@@
Moore scattered just two other hits to the Portland State lineup while striking out seven, walking one; all three of the Vikings’ runs were earned. Offensively, Moore, who entered the batting order for the first time all season against UCLA last weekend, went 2-for-3 with a walk, RBI and run scored.
The Sutter, Calif., native said she didn’t have as much energy as she normally does, which forced her to rely on the location of her pitches rather than her usual speed. She also mentioned the sell-out crowd made a noticeable difference, with temporary bleachers installed behind the left field fence.
“It was really nice to see a full crowd out there, especially with those bleachers out behind the field,” Moore said. “So, I think that was a big turning point for us that we did fill them. I think it’d be kind of a different story if we put those up and nobody showed up.”
Pappas (2-for-4) and Howard (2-for-4) also had multiple hits for Oregon.
The Ducks will face the Brigham Young University Cougars today at 11 a.m. BYU defeated Mississippi State in the tournament opener on Thursday, 4-3, in nine innings.
