Anytime Oregon and Portland State meet on the softball field it’s ripe for a close contest.
One is a member of the Pacific-10 Conference and the other hails from the Big Sky Conference.
It makes little difference when these two programs play in what has become competitive in-state series. Portland State struck the first blow this season with a 4-0 win at Howe Field in the beginning of March.
Oregon has its chance for revenge with a double-header today in Portland at Erv Lind Stadium.
“We have great respect (for the Vikings),” coach Kathy Arendsen said. “We know what the Vikings did to us here in Eugene. It was heartbreaking. I trust we’re very motivated.
“My big thing is I hope that we can leave frustrations – personal frustrations, team frustrations – behind and go out there and play.”
Oregon (26-19, 1-8 Pac-10) is experiencing a difficult stretch of the season with three consecutive losses and losses in eight of the Ducks last nine games.
It has been a common refrain this season that the pitching has been there and the offense has been missing. It proved true again last weekend when Oregon scored a combined three runs, while only giving up six.
“It’s really frustrating ’cause our defense is playing really, really well and our pitchers our doing really well but we’re not helping them out with the bats,” catcher Ashley Kivett said. “I think when both of them click, we’re going to do really well.”
Freshman pitcher Brittany Rumfelt made the most of the beginning to her college career with wins in her first four starts and pitched until she suffered a fracture of the index finger on her left hand in pre-game warm-ups on Sunday, Feb. 24.
She returned a month later with appearances in a sweep of a doubleheader with Idaho State on March 23.
But Rumfelt really made her presence felt with a three-hitter last weekend in a 1-0 loss to Stanford. She struck out one batter while walking three.
“I was incredibly pleased with how she pitched,” Arendsen said.
“It was kind of hard to take the loss, which we’ve been going through lately by very short, close calls, which is too bad,” Rumfelt said.
She is now 4-1 on the season with a 2.47 ERA in 47 1/3 innings.
Rumfelt said she used the time away to watch how her teammates played and pick-up things from the sideline.
“I notice things from more of a coach’s perspective than a player’s I guess, which is good to see both sides,” Rumfelt said.
Initially, the finger was sore upon her return, but nothing Rumfelt says she couldn’t handle.
“She had no fear,” Arendsen said. “I think you just have to get back into rhythm and back into throwing. With it being her pitching hand, she couldn’t do anything.
“She was physically fit. She could do everything but pitch.”
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‘Heartbreaking’ loss on the minds of Ducks
Daily Emerald
April 15, 2008
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