Oregon softball coach Kathy Arendsen said the Ducks persevered. Starting pitcher Amy Harris said Oregon finally caught a break. Oregon finished the home portion of its schedule with a 2-1 victory over No. 16 Washington in 11 innings on Sunday.
With two outs and the bases loaded in the 11th, Joanna Gail hit a ball that trickled to the left of the infield. Washington (32-20 overall, 6-12 Pacific-10 Conference) first baseman Sarah Hyatt couldn’t dig the ball out of the dirt on a throw from third baseman Brooke Woodward and Oregon’s Beth Boskovich scored the winning run.
“I always hustle, no matter what, but I’m not the fastest player on the team by any means,” Gail said. “I knew that if I put it in play they were probably going to try to get the force at one so I just ran with everything I had. I think (Hyatt) dropped it right at the end there.”
Following a fly out by Sari-Jane Jenkins to begin the bottom of the 11th, Boskovich hit a full-count single to start the rally for Oregon (24-24, 4-12). Lovena Chaput drew a walk before Dani Baird popped out. With a full count, Kayleen Hudson singled up the left side and with Arendsen waving her home, Boskovich stopped at third to load the bases for Gail.
“About the sixth, seventh inning my leg had been getting kinda sore,” said Boskovich, who has played the past week and a half despite a tear in the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee. “Right when I rounded third, I used my right leg to plant and I got a really sharp pain so I decided to hold up.”
Oregon almost won the game in regulation when Harris entered the seventh inning with a 1-0 lead. Hyatt hit the first pitch off the top of Gail’s glove at third base for a single, which was followed by a single from Dena Tyson. Harris was pulled for Cook, who struck out back-to-back batters before allowing an RBI single by Lauren Greer. Cook then walked Dominique Lastrapes to load the bases before Ashley Charters hit into a fielder’s choice at second base to end the rally.
Washington pitcher Caitlin Noble, who pitched the entire game and allowed only six hits with 14 strikeouts, retired 13 of 14 batters before Boskovich’s single in the 11th. Boskovich, a senior who hit a sacrifice fly in the third inning that scored Suzie Barnes with the Ducks’ first run, finished 2 for 2 with the game-winning run, an RBI and a walk in her final home appearance.
“There was a lot of emotions today being senior day and stuff like that so our underclassmen really wanted to leave here knowing that our seniors got their last win at Howe Field,” Boskovich said.
Along with Harris, Baird and Breanne Sabol, Boskovich closed out her career at home and said there is no better way than to beat the Huskies.
“It’s always nice to beat Washington, especially when you are at home and especially on Senior Day,” she said.
The Ducks close the season with four games plus a resumed game in the desert beginning Thursday. Oregon has to win three games to be eligible for its fourth straight postseason appearance – a school record.
“We can’t worry about that,” Arendsen said of the schedule. “We’ve got to try to win on Thursday. We’ve got to try to win game one and then we’ll try to win game two. It’s too daunting to see we’ve got to win three out of five on the road.”

[email protected]