One year ago, the highly ranked Oregon softball team suffered a season-opening loss at the hands of the Cal Poly Mustangs.
The Ducks made sure history wasn’t going to repeat itself as Oregon defeated the Mustangs 8-0 in this years season-opening game. Oregon returned later in the evening for an 9-0 victory over Texas on the first day of the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Arizona.
Led by a trio of pitchers, the Ducks gave up zero runs on the day and seven hits, while adding one error. On the offensive side of the ball, Oregon pounded out 25 hits to combine for 17 runs.
Oregon 8 – Cal Poly 0: Karissa Hovinga got the start for the Ducks in the season opener and did not disappoint. She threw 6.0 innings and allowed four hits with six strikeouts before being replaced by transfer Geri Ann Glasco. Glasco threw a scoreless seventh inning and gave up one hit to finish out the game.
Offensively, Jenna Lilley began her Oregon career with a bang as she hit a two-RBI single up the middle in the first inning to give the Ducks a 2-0 lead. Lilley’s single scored Alyssa Gillespie (single) and Hailey Decker (walk) after both players advanced a base after Janelle Lindvall hit into a fielder’s choice.
The Ducks took advantage of a couple of Mustang miscues in the second inning as Nikki Udria and Koral Costa both scored to put the score at 4-0. Oregon added a run in the fourth inning and three more in the seventh to complete the scoring.
Janie Takeda led the Ducks at the plate by going 2-for-4 with an RBI while Decker went 1-for-3 with two runs scored.
Oregon 9 – Texas 0: Cheridan Hawkins, the ace of the Oregon pitching staff, was dominant in her first action of the season as she threw a complete game shutout, surrendering two hits while striking out seven. Hawkins  did walk three batters and hit another.
The offense struck again early as Takeda led off the game by hitting a 2-1 pitch over the fence in right field for a solo homerun. Takeda’s first homerun of last year came during the opening round of the NCAA softball tournament.
The second inning started out just like the first inning as Lilley hit the first pitch she saw over the fence in right center to double the score. After three walks and two outs later, Gillespie drew a bases-loaded walk to make the score 3-0.
The Ducks broke the game wide open in the fourth inning when they scored five runs on six hits while leaving the bases loaded. Takeda and Gillespie led off with back-to-back singles and after an error allowed Decker load the bases, Lindvall stepped to the plate. After working the count full, Lindvall ripped a ball down the left field line for a triple, thus clearing the bases and making the score 6-0 with no outs still.
After two quick outs with Lindvall on third, Lilley drew a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch before Costa singled to complete the scoring in the inning.
Oregon added the final run in the fifth inning when Lilley doubled with two outs and then came around to score on a Glasco single to right field.
For the game, Takeda went 3-for-4 while Lindvall, Lilley and Glasco all added two hits apiece.
The Ducks continue action tomorrow in the Kajikawa Classic with games against Northwestern at 2:45 p.m. and North Carolina at 5 p.m.
Follow Ryan Kostecka on twitter @Ryan_Kostecka