The emotion Rick Gamez hid behind his reflective Oakley sunglasses was openly expressed by senior Triawn Custer after the Oregon softball team lost the final two games of the season Saturday.
Wiping away the tears of an up-and-down four-years, Custer hugged her family and smiled for snapshots and a video camera, trying to make the best of a tumultuous season.
Custer and the Ducks ended the season Saturday by dropping both games of a doubleheader to No. 4 Stanford at Howe Field.
“I didn’t start getting emotional until the senior ceremony beforehand,” said Custer, the Ducks’ all-time home run leader who was beaned in her final plate appearance. “I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time, so it was nice to have it get here and play respectable, especially after the season we’ve had. It was a good way to go out regret-free. You don’t have to worry about what might have been.
“I’m glad it wasn’t a strikeout.”
Custer finished 1-for-2 with a single in her last game in an Oregon uniform. The Ducks, on the other hand, finished a season to remember — for all the wrong reasons.
A 6-0 loss in Game 1 of the doubleheader and a 5-1 defeat in the afternoon game wrapped up a controversial and disappointing year that saw Oregon finish 1-20 in the Pacific-10 Conference (28-40 overall), the worst season in Gamez’s five years as the head coach.
Gamez had led the Ducks to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances.
He said he expected the team to play more competitively against Stanford after the Ducks nearly upset No. 6 California on Friday in a 7-4 loss.
“I thought that after yesterday’s performance that we would come out today and play a little harder and be more aggressive,” Gamez said.
Sophomore pitcher Lisa Wangler gave up five earned runs and eight hits to take the loss in the first game. Offensively, the Ducks managed just two hits in five innings off Stanford starter Dana Sorensen, one of the top pitchers in the nation with a 0.41 ERA heading into the weekend.
Sorensen picked up the win to improve to 22-3 on the season, while Stanford improved to 47-13-1 overall and 10-10 in the conference.
“Obviously there’s a reason Stanford’s ranked No. 4 in the country,” Gamez said. “[Sorensen] is just a great pitcher.”
Freshman Anissa Meashintubby (4-3) pitched a complete game in the second contest, allowing nine hits and four earned runs to take the loss.
“I thought Anissa did a great job today; she threw the ball extremely well,” Gamez said. “I was just really happy for her, and that’s just typical with the type of kid she is and how hard she has worked all year long.”
Wangler singled in the fifth inning to score junior Alicia Mickes, who started off the inning with a base-knock. It was the only run the Ducks had on the day and the only run they scored off Stanford in three games this season.
Against Cal Friday, sophomore second baseman Alyssa Laux hit her first home run of the season in the bottom of the first to put the Ducks ahead 2-1. Sparked by a two-out solo homer by Paige Bowie, the Bears scored three runs on one error in the fifth to take a 4-2 lead.
The Ducks rallied behind sophomore Andrea Vidlund’s 11th home run of the season, a solo shot in the sixth. With Custer on third, Kristi Hall hit a sacrifice fly to center to tie to the game at 4.
The Bears (49-15, 6-14), however, scored three runs in the top of the seventh to secure the win.
Oregon junior Connie McMurren (8-18) allowed six earned runs to take the loss.

Wangler nabs MVP honors
Wangler, a sophomore transfer from Mesa (Ariz.) Community College, was named the team MVP at the annual softball awards banquet Sunday. She was also awarded with the Rookie of the Year honor.
Meashintubby, a Monroe native who led the team with a 3.75 ERA, earned the Most Inspirational award.
In the leadoff spot, Wangler set a school record with 87 hits while leading the team with a .367 batting average. Additionally, Wangler scored 37 runs and led the team with 16 stolen bases and 93 total bases. She finished the season 5-11 in the circle, including four shutouts.