Oregon’s undefeated start to the season ended last week at UCLA, and now its perfect home record has concluded.
Washington beat Oregon 4-2 at Jane Sanders Stadium on Thursday evening after a half-hour rain delay prior to the start of the game. Maggie Balint started in the circle, and surrendered just her fourth home run of the season in the loss.
It was a night where the Ducks’ offense just could not get going.
“I think overall it was a pretty poor offensive performance because they gave them to us,” head coach Mike White said. “They totally outplayed us offensively.”
Washington got on the board first in the opening inning after Nikki Udria overthrew Mia Camuso, allowing a Husky to round third and get home.
Oregon went hitless through three innings but finally got a hit. The Ducks put two runs on the board in the bottom of the fourth. With Udria and Jenna Lilley on base, Camuso hit through the center gap to score Udria and advance Lilley. Lauren Lindvall hit through the gap between shortstop and third but Lilley was tagged out at the plate.
With two outs, Washington walked Madi Bishop to load the bases. Then the Huskies also walked Shannon Rhodes, scoring Camuso to give Oregon a 2-1 lead. Alexis Mack had a full count with loaded bases but grounded out to end the inning.
“What struck me the most was our mental mistakes,” White said. “Catching a fly ball, not throwing home. … We’ve just got to play smarter softball.”
Balint was back in the circle after pitching in Oregon’s loss to UCLA last Saturday. She kept that game scoreless until the ninth inning but the bats failed to produce in the extended game.
Through the first four innings, Balint only surrendered three hits but many of Washington’s batters made contact with her pitches. Her first walk of the game came in the fifth inning.
While still in the fifth inning, Washington retook the lead via Ali Aguilar’s two-run home run to center field. It was Balint’s first earned run since March 17 against California.
“Washington’s a good hitting team,” Balint said. “They came out with high energy they played a hell of a game. Their pitcher pitched awesome. We just didn’t have it.”
Balint’s night was over after five innings, giving up five hits, three runs and one walk while striking out three. Fellow freshman Miranda Elish entered in relief.
The Huskies added to their 3-2 lead in the seventh inning thanks to a sacrifice fly with loaded bases, making it 4-2. Elish and Oregon did not allow any more runs but the two-run lead was too much for the Ducks to overcome.
“I think that was one of our poorest performances of the year,” White said. “We’re going to have to turn the corner here to come back.”
Oregon will look to bounce back on Friday in game two of the series.
Follow Shawn Medow on Twitter @ShawnMedow