CORVALLIS – The Civil War Cup is headed back to Eugene.
The Oregon softball team (39-11 overall, 4-8 Pac-10) defeated rival Oregon State 6-5 in a wild game in front of 595 at the OSU Softball Complex on Wednesday.
The victory gives the Ducks the season-series win against the Beavers 2-1 and ends Oregon’s six-game conference losing streak, but also puts the Civil War Cup in Oregon’s possession for the first time in three years.
The Civil War Cup is awarded to the school with the most Civil War victories in all the sports in which the two rivals face off.
The score was tied entering Wednesday.
“First of all, beating the Beavers is special, winning the series for us and then winning the cup as well for Oregon… we’re so excited to make the contribution,” Oregon coach Kathy Arendsen said.
Freshman Neena Bryant went 4-for-4, including two doubles, a home run and three runs scored. Joanna Gail also homered and was 3-for-4 as the Ducks broke their recent hitting slump with a 15-hit performance, all against Oregon State career wins leader Brianne McGowan.
“Lately I’ve been pressing, today I felt relaxed,” Bryant said.
The Ducks used a wild sixth inning to climb ahead of the Beavers. Down 5-3, Bryant led off with an infield hit and Gail followed with a single. After a fielder’s choice and a pop out, pinch hitter Courtney Shlee lined a single up the middle to score Bryant on just her tenth hit of the season.
Suzie Barnes recorded an infield single that was missed by McGowan, allowing pinch-runner Blair Williamson to score from second and tie the game.
Another infield single by Sari-Jane Jenkins, her third hit of the day, loaded the bases for redshirt freshman Jenn Salling, who hit the ball sharply on the ground to second base, but Jenkins beat the throw to second allowing pinch-runner Hannah Barril to score and give Oregon the 6-5 lead.
“Our bats are back,” Arendsen said. “We hope now we parlay this good feeling.”
Sophomore pitcher Melissa Rice, who has struggled to close out games in the past, squashed an Oregon State rally in the sixth with a double play after giving up back-to-back singles.
Then the Beavers (34-16, 6-6), who made two comebacks in the seventh inning against the Ducks earlier this season in Eugene, loaded the bases in the seventh with two outs after Rice gave up back-to-back walks and an infield single, but Mia Longfellow lined to Barnes at second to end the game.
Rice (21-9) went the full seven innings, giving up 13 hits and five earned runs.
She was shaky to start the game, giving up all five runs in the first three innings, two coming on a two-run home run by McGowan in the first. Oregon tied the game with back to back solo home runs in the second by Bryant and Gail, but the Beavers quickly regained the lead with one run in the second and two in the third.
“I struggled with myself in the beginning,” said Rice, who has pitched Oregon’s last six games due to ace Alicia Cook’s undisclosed illness. Cook will not travel with the team this weekend. “A couple of my teammates reassured me that they were with me, and I think that kind of pumped me up even more.”
With Rice rolling, Oregon chipped away at the lead, getting one run in the fourth before scoring the three in the sixth.
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