After No.1 Florida snapped the Ducks 15-game winning streak yesterday, the No. 6 Ducks responded with a pair of wins in the Diamond 9 Citrus Classic to up their record to 17-2 on the season.
Cheridan Hawkins rebounded from a loss against the Gators to lead Oregon to a 2-0 win over Bradley in the first game. Alexa Peterson and Janie Takeda led the way in a 10-2 mercy-ruled drubbing of Maryland in five innings.
OREGON 2 – Bradley 0
A day after Hawkins struggled with finding the strike zone in the last inning against Florida, she was consistent against Bradley in locating the strike zone and threw seven innings, giving up just three hits compared to one walk. Today’s game marked a season-high of strikeouts for Hawkins, who tallied 15.
After a scoreless inning and a half, the Ducks’ offense came alive in the bottom of the second as they scored two runs on two hits and were aided by a Bradley error.
Janelle Lindvall started off the inning with a double down the left field line and advanced to third on a Kailee Cuico perfectly placed bunt single. With runners on the corners, Alyssa Gillespie hit into a fielder’s choice that resulted in Cuico being thrown out at second while Lindvall stayed at third. Gillespie then stole second base when Jasmine Smithson-Willett stepped to the plate and hit into a fielder’s choice of her own. Both Lindvall and Gillespie were able to score on the fielder’s choice as a result on an error by the catcher.
Hawkins ran into a little trouble in the top of the third inning when she gave up a leadoff single and a walk to the first batters of the inning. Not to be fazed, Hawkins retired the next three batters to get out of the inning unscathed.
While the Ducks bats were silent the rest of the game, Hawkins retired 11 of the next 12 batters before giving up a double with two outs in the top of the seventh inning. That brought the tying run to the plate but just she she’d done all game, Hawkins didn’t wilt under the pressure and calmly earned her 15th strikeout of the game to end it.
Lindvall went 2-for-3 in the game while Takeda, Cuico and Courtney Ceo were the only other Ducks to get a hit in the game.
OREGON 10 – Maryland 2
After scoring a combined six runs in their first three games of the tournament, the Ducks’ bats finally awoke as they put up 10 runs on 11 hits, the fourth time this year they’ve scored at least 10 or more runs in a game.
Karissa Hovinga threw the first four innings and gave up two runs (no earned runs) on two hits with no walks while Smithson-Willett of Maryland threw a scoreless and hitless fifth inning while giving up just one walk.
The Ducks wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard as they scored three runs on three hits while leaving three runner left on base in the top of the first inning.
Takeda got things started with a walk and came around to score on a Peterson single to right field. After Lindvall singled and Smithson-Willett walked to load the bases, Koral Costa singled to center field to score Peterson and keep the bases loaded. Jamie Rae Sullivan then worked a walk as the next batter to score Lindvall, keep the bases loaded with only out and complete the scoring.
To begin the second inning, Takeda was once again the catalyst as she started things off with a single and then advanced to second when Courtney Ceo reached first on an error by the first baseman. Peterson and Lindvall both came up clutch again for Oregon as the players singled in consecutive at-bats. Peterson single scored Takeda and after she stole second base, Lindvall’s single scored both her and Ceo.
After Lexy Beaudrie-Pierson entered the game and pinch ran for Lindvall, she came around to score on a single by Costa that completed the scoring for the inning and set it at 7-0 for the game.
The Ducks scored three more runs in the third inning on two hits and with the help of one error.
Nikki Udria reached first base on an error by the second baseman and advanced to second after Takeda was walked. Stevie Jo Knapp pinch hit for Ceo and delivered with a single that scored Udria and her and takeda both advanced a base on an overthrow. Takeda crossed home plate and Knapp advanced to third on a wild pitch before Peterson came to bat and again delivered with an RBI single. Peterson’s final RBI of the game completed the scoring for the Ducks with 10 runs.
Maryland got two runs back in the fourth inning but it wasn’t enough as Smithson-Willett shut the door on a possible Terrapin comeback in the fifth inning to end the game.
Peterson finished the game 3-for-4 with three RBI’s while Takeda went 2-for-3 with three runs scored and Lindvall went 2-for-2 with two RBI’s.
Follow Ryan Kostecka on Twitter @Ryan_Kostecka