The Oregon softball team dropped three games in Arizona this weekend, extending its losing streak to nine.
The Ducks (25-33 overall, 1-13 Pacific-10 Conference) scored their only run of the weekend in a 6-1 loss to No. 1 Arizona Sunday.
Sophomore Janell Bergstrom was 2-for-3 with an RBI against Arizona’s Becky Lemke (16-2), who allowed just five hits to pick up the win. Bergstrom’s single in the fourth slipped through the legs of Arizona outfielder Lauren Bauer to score senior Triawn Custer from first base, accounting for the only run the Ducks had all weekend.
Junior pitcher Connie McMurren took the loss for Oregon.
“This is a very tough team and I thought we battled very well,” Oregon head coach Rick Gamez said. “We limited our errors this weekend and were able to hit the ball, but Arizona is an extremely tough team.”
Arizona (51-4, 13-2) has won 41 consecutive games at home.
The Ducks benefited from the eight-run mercy rule in an 8-0 loss Saturday in Tucson.
“Again, we were able to get hits and put runners on base,” Gamez said. “But we needed to continue to get hits with runners in scoring position and we didn’t do that.”
Oregon loaded the bases against Jennie Finch in the sixth inning after an Alyssa Laux single, a walk to catcher Missy Coe and a single by Custer. But Finch, who is now 23-0 this season, struck out Bergstrom to end the inning.
The Wildcats put runs on the board early, with three runs in the first and four in the second. Andrea Vidlund (9-8) tallied the loss for the Ducks.
Friday’s game against Arizona State was not much better. The Ducks picked up their only Pac-10 win of the season against the Sun Devils earlier in the year in Eugene, but were unable to produce any runs Friday in a 6-0 loss.
Sophomore Lisa Wangler (5-9) took the loss by giving up seven hits and three runs in 2 2/3 innings.
“We had been playing pretty well heading into this game,” Gamez said. “I had hoped we would continue to get timely hits and score runs early, but Arizona State played a strong defensive game tonight.”