Fresh off clinching the program’s fourth-straight Pac-12 title on Friday night, the Oregon softball team dropped game two of the series, 3-2, to Utah on Saturday night.
The No. 3-ranked Ducks had their chances, including the winning run at the plate in the seventh inning, but couldn’t muster a win.
Oregon (43-8, 19-4 Pac-12) and Utah will finish out the regular season on Saturday. The NCAA selection show is set for Sunday at 7 p.m. on ESPNU.
“We were flat today, but we should not have been. There’s still a lot to play for. I don’t get it. I thought it was a pretty poor performance by us at bat,” head coach Mike White said. “[Oregon starter] Megan Kleist gave up some big pitches at the wrong time. You can’t do that at this level.”
The loss snaps a 17-game program win streak for Oregon versus the Utes.
Utah’s Katie Donovan, a Salem, Oregon, native, limited the Ducks to one earned run, allowing just five hits while striking out two.
“She was jamming us up pretty good,” White said of Donovan. “She had nine 2-0 counts. We let her off the hook a lot of times. We helped her out quite a bit.”
Utah took the the first lead of the game, 1-0, when Kristen Stewart blasted a solo home run.
Oregon answered with a run of its own in the bottom of the second. Gwen Svekis hit a double, but then was thrown out on a fielder’s choice. Madi Bishop, making her ninth start of the season, scored when Alyssa Gillespie laid down a bunt. Utah’s catcher threw the ball down the first base line, allowing an Oregon run.
A Utah single and an error by Oregon’s Koral Costa allowed the Utes to take a 2-1 lead in the third inning.
Coming into the weekend, Utah was 29-1 when leading after four innings.
Oregon once again leveled the score with a run in its half of the fifth inning. Bishop, making her ninth start of the season in place of Hailey Decker at first base, blasted a solo shot to make it a 2-2  ballgame.
“Sometimes taking a look from the bench can help somebody out,” White said of starting Bishop.
Nikki Udria would go on to double in the fifth inning, but Costa grounded out to end the Oregon threat.
Utah’s Bridget Castro homered to left field in the sixth inning, giving Utah a narrow 3-2 lead. After Kleist walked the next batter, Cheridan Hawkins entered in relief.
Utah kept the Ducks’ offense at bay in the sixth inning. Hawkins stuck out all three Utah batters in the seventh to keep it a 3-2 deficit. With two outs in the seventh, Hailey Decker drew a walk. The Ducks had the winning run at the plate, but a pop out to right field ended the game.
Kleist gave up three runs (two earned) and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings in the loss to Utah. Last weekend when she started at California, she gave up eight runs and 11 hits in 1 2/3 innings.
Oregon and Utah will square off in the regular season finale on Saturday with first pitch set for 2 p.m.
“You’ve got to finish strong,” White said. “I just wish we had played better softball [tonight].”
Follow Jonathan Hawthorne on Twitter @Jon_Hawthorne