The No. 15 Oregon women’s softball team picked up four wins at the Mustang Classic in San Luis Obispo, Calif., this weekend in the team’s final tune up before Pacific-10 Conference play begins on Friday.
Oregon (28-4) extended its win streak to 12 consecutive games with an 8-4 victory over UNLV on Saturday evening, but its fifth game scheduled against Cal Poly on Sunday morning was canceled because of weather conditions.
The Ducks wasted no time getting on the board in Friday’s opener when freshman Kailee Cuico and sophomore Samantha Pappas each hit grand slams as Oregon cruised to an 11-3 victory over the Rebels.
Cuico’s round tripper was the first of her career, which put the Ducks on top 5-1 at the end of the first frame, and they were never seriously threatened after that point. Pappas’ shot came in the fifth and final inning of play; hers was the second grand slam of her career.
Sophomore pitcher Jessica Moore (13-2) got the win for Oregon after striking out three, walking three, and giving up two earned runs.
Pappas and freshman third baseman Courtney Ceo each went 2 for 4 in that contest, while senior Monique Fuiava led the Ducks with a 3-for-4 effort.
Later that day Oregon downed Cal Poly by scoring single runs in the first three innings, then used a four-run sixth to put the game out of reachfor good.
Senior lefty Brittany Rumfelt picked up her third straight victory for Oregon. Rumfelt struck out five, walked two, and Cal Poly’s only run was unearned.
Sophomore Allie Burger (2 for 4), Cuico (2 for 3), senior Kaitlin Vitek (2 for 3) and sophomore Kaylan Howard (2 for 4) each recorded multiple hits for the Ducks, who hit .393 as a team against Cal Poly starter Camille Patton en route to her 12th loss of the season.
Junior right-hander Samantha Skillingstad (8-0) had a dominant performance against Fairfield on Saturday morning to help the Ducks to a 3-1 victory.
Skillingstad struck out nine and did not allow a single walk in the two-hit effort.
At the plate Pappas drove in two of Oregon’s runs with RBI singles in the first and third innings, respectively, and Fuiava followed with an RBI single of her own in the third to give Oregon a 3-0 lead.
Skillingstad surrendered a home run to Fairfield leadoff hitter Kristen Filicia in the fourth inning, but it was too little, too late.
Oregon capped the weekend with another strong showing offensively, as junior Lindsey Chambers drove in four runs en route to the 8-4 victory over UNLV. The Rebels didn’t go down easily, however, and put up four runs of their own in the top of the fifth to send Moore to the bench with the game knotted at 4-4.
Chambers’ three-run double in the bottom half of the inning, her seventh of the season, put the Ducks ahead for good as the game was called for rain just moments later.
For the weekend, Fuiava led the Ducks with a .583 average (7 for 12) with four runs scored and three RBI. Pappas and Cuico paced Oregon with six and five RBI, respectively.
Looking ahead, Oregon will take on last year’s Pac-10 champion, No. 6 Washington (25-2), in a three-game series that begins Friday evening in Seattle.
[email protected]