The Oregon softball team finally broke into the win column with a 6-0 win against Portland State on Tuesday afternoon to snap a 12-game losing streak.
But the enjoyment of the win was short-lived, as the Ducks sank back into the losing skid with a 2-0 defeat in the nightcap of the double header held at Erv Lind Stadium in Portland.
Oregon’s record now stands at 19-22 overall (0-12 Pacific-10 Conference), while Portland State is now 17-24 (6-8 Western Athletic Conference).
After winning the first game, the enjoyment of the win quickly dissipated.
“It felt great to get a victory and see some smiles,” Oregon head coach Brent Rincon said. “(But) I can’t even express my level of disappointment in losing the second game. I hoped we would have stayed hungry.”
Rincon said that in the second game his team “lacked intensity” and was “undisciplined at the plate.”
The Ducks broke out of their losing funk in the first game with the combination of pitching from sophomore Anissa Meashintubby, timely hitting and near-flawless defense.
Meashintubby threw a complete game three-hitter, allowing only two walks to go along with eight strikeouts.
Offensively, Oregon smacked 10 hits with shortstop Lynsey Haij leading the way, hitting 3-for-3 with two runs scored. The Ducks scored two runs in the first inning, one in the second and three unearned runs in the sixth. Alyssa Laux, Mari Lyn Petrick and Amber Hutchison all connected for doubles off Portland State’s Morgan Seibert, who was named last week’s WAC Pitcher of the Week after she compiled a record of 3-0 with no earned runs.
In the contest, Seibert struck out six Oregon hitters, which moved her into first on the all-time strikeout list at Portland State with 550.
The Vikings’ Nichole Ivie threw the second game of the evening, holding the Oregon offense to five hits and two walks while striking out four.
Oregon senior Connie McMurren threw well for the Ducks as she allowed just three hits to go along with five strikeouts. She held the Vikings scoreless through six innings when they tallied the only two they needed. Rincon called McMurren’s pitching performance her second-best effort of the year, behind only her no-hitter against UNLV on March 26.
One of the two Portland State runs was unearned as Oregon’s fielding woes — which has been problematic much of the season — continued. Third baseman Ashley Richards committed two errors while Haij added another.
The Ducks put a two-out rally together in their half of the seventh, but with two runners on from a Richards double and an Andrea Vidlund walk, Hutchison flied out to center field — failing to provide McMurren with much-deserved run support.
The Ducks have a break from games today before hosting a double header against Portland State on Wednesday.