Golfers seventh after ay one
The Oregon men’s golf team had a rough first round in the first 18 holes of the Pacific-10 Conference Championships, but rallied back in the second round on a windy day at Trysting Tee Golf Course.
After shooting a 373 on the par-72 course in Corvallis the men were tied with Arizona State for ninth place. But fighting back, Oregon shot eight strokes better to sit in a tie for seventh heading into today’s third round.
Their second round 365 was the third-lowest score carded in the last 18 holes. They are in a tie with California and Arizona State.
“We drove the ball into the rough too much today,” Oregon head coach Steve Nosler said. “You’re not going to make too many pars or any birdies when you drive the ball in the rough out here.”
Junior John Ellis was Oregon’s lead golfer in both rounds and shot a 71 then a 69 for 140 total to tie for third at four-under. Senior Aaron Byers sits in a tie for 16th with 10 other golfers at plus-one 145. Senior Branden Harnden finished one stroke behind Byers with a 146 and is tied for 26th.
USC and Oregon State are leading the way in a tie for first after 36 holes at 716 and finished four strokes ahead of Stanford who lead after the first round.
“We’re not so far back that we can’t make a run,” Nosler said. “We still have a chance to work our way back up and achieve a respectable finish.”

— Jesse Thomas

for the Emerald

UO softball heads to desert
It’s back to Pacific-10 Conference play for the Oregon softball team this weekend as it travels to Arizona to take on No. 2 Arizona and No. 5 Arizona State.
The Ducks are coming off a four-game week against Portland State in which Oregon won three of four, improving its record to 20-22 overall (0-12 Pac-10). Prior to the games against the Vikings, the Ducks had lost 12 consecutive contests — all against teams in their conference and many of the games were decided by slim margins.
“We have a tough road trip coming up,” head coach Brent Rincon said. “We’ve proven we can compete in the Pac-10, but we have got to take the next step and go out and win in the Pac-10.”
In the last four games against Portland State, Rincon was pleased with his team’s play and the pitching trio of Connie McMurren, Anissa Meashintubby and, in particular, Lindsey Kontra, but he said the team needs to do a better job focusing on the defensive end.
“In the Pac-10, hits are hard to come by, pitching is a little more difficult, so the one area that we have to be more focused in is defense as we go to the end of the year here,” he said. “That is what we are looking for — to grow as a team, especially defensively, to play with intensity defensively, and that help will create intensity offensively and also help give our pitchers confidence.”
If the Ducks can continue to receive timely hits from players like Mari Lyn Petrick, Rachel Tommasini and Amber Hutchison, they could break out of the Pac-10 winless-slump they have been entrenched in.
Oregon faces Arizona in Tucson on Friday at 7 p.m. and then plays the Sun Devils in Tempe on Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.

— Chris Cabot