Freshman Kayleen Hudson made an immediate impact for Oregon on Thursday.
After the Ducks missed their starting right fielder for a week of practice and the final three Pacific-10 Conference games of the season, Hudson rejoined the team in Tallahassee, Fla., for Oregon’s NCAA Regional Tournament trip.
In her first at bat back, after a week at home in Northglenn, Colo., due to the passing of her grandfather, Hudson led off the bottom of the second inning with her first triple of the season, off the right-center field fence at Florida State’s softball complex.
“When I was gone, I realized I had been trying too hard,” Hudson said by phone after Thursday’s win. “I was just up there to hit today. I was happy to be back with the girls.”
After Hudson’s triple gave the No. 2-seeded Ducks a runner on third for the second consecutive inning, designated player Ann Marie Topps hit a single to center field that scored Hudson for Oregon’s lone run of the day.
Oregon shutout Bethune-Cookman, 1-0, in the first-round game. Today, the Ducks face No. 3-seeded South Florida in another 9:30 a.m. game, to be broadcast on KSCR (1320 AM) Radio.
Topps, who has started half the Ducks’ games this season, was 2 for 2 on the day.
“I just got up there and I knew that we just needed to hit the ball,” Topps said in the postgame press conference. “I did what I needed to do for my team.”
Oregon recovered from an offensive slump to score one run on six hits. The Ducks had baserunners in every inning but one.
“Anytime you can score one more run than the opponent, it’s a good thing,” Oregon head coach Kathy Arendsen said by phone after the victory. “It was awesome to have Kayleen back. She really stepped up. Ann Marie Topps had a couple hits too. Our freshmen really stepped up.”
Another newcomer, although not a freshman, also performed well. Junior transfer Ani Nyhus, who has played postseason games in Florida the past two years as part of the junior college championships, threw a six-hit shutout.
Nyhus struck out seven Wildcats to break teammate Amy Harris’ single-season strikeout record. Harris struck out 180 batters last season. Nyhus’ total is up to 184, including Thursday.
“I had to struggle through a couple innings, but our defense was flawless today,” Nyhus said by phone Thursday. “It was an all right outing.”
Nyhus, who was named to the All-Pac-10 First Team on Wednesday, is 22-12 this season. The win was her 10th shutout of the season.
“As long as we had the lead, I knew we were going to win,” Arendsen said.
The Wildcats left seven runners on base, but never got a runner past second. They scattered their six hits throughout the game.
“Oregon is a great team,” Bethune-Cookman head coach Laura Watten said in the postgame conference. “I really wasn’t worried about what Oregon did; I really wanted us to try to take care of business.”
Three of the Ducks’ six hits were of the extra-base variety — Hudson’s triple and a double each by Topps and third baseman Ashley Richards. Oregon left five runners stranded, including three on third base.
The Ducks also scattered three singles, Topps’ RBI hit, a single by catcher Jenn Poore and a single by Hudson.
“We only scored one run,” Nyhus said. “We were a little frustrated with that, but we’re hitting the ball well.”
South Florida, Oregon’s opponent today, is in the winner’s bracket after a 2-0 win against No. 6-seeded Ohio State.