Oregon made the most of its final Pacific-10 Conference road trip.
The No. 19 Ducks lost a close game on Friday to No. 2 UCLA, 4-3, but they bounced back and swept No. 4 Washington in Seattle on Saturday, 6-5 in eight innings, and on Sunday, 6-5.
Head coach Kathy Arendsen and the Ducks surpassed the squad’s Pac-10 win total of six from 2000 with the sweep of Washington. Oregon improved to 30-16 overall and 8-10 in the Pac-10.
The Ducks’ weekend started off rocky with Friday’s 4-3 loss to No. 2 UCLA.
“We had the lead and gave ourselves opportunities to win late, so I’m pleased with that,” Arendsen said Friday. “I thought our defense played very well and we were able to score early.”
Senior designated player Amber Hutchison scored the Ducks’ first run on a single by senior left fielder Andrea Vidlund in the top of the first inning.
UCLA answered with a solo homerun in the bottom of the first.
In the fourth, sophomore second baseman Erin Goodell walked, then scored on a double by freshman shortstop Breanne Sabol.
Freshman pitcher Amy Harris gave up two homeruns in the bottom of the fourth.
Vidlund hit her 10th homerun of the season in the top of the seventh, but the Ducks couldn’t add any more runs in the 4-3 loss.
On Saturday, the Ducks played their eighth extra-inning game of the season. Oregon squeaked by the Huskies, 6-5.
“This was an outstanding win for our program today,” Arendsen said Saturday. “I am extremely pleased that we continued to fight throughout. This is just a great victory.”
Hutchison again scored the Ducks’ first run of the game, hitting her third homerun of the season in the top of the third inning.
Washington answered with a run in the bottom of the fourth.
The Ducks scored four runs in the fifth. Sabol reached first on an error to lead off the inning. Hutchison earned a trip to first after being hit by a pitch. Freshman right fielder Beth Boskovich hit a single to score Sabol.
Vidlund followed with a hit that scored Hutchison. Senior first baseman Alyssa Laux drove in Boskovich with a single and junior catcher Jenn Poore singled to score freshman pinch runner Jackie Eliades.
The Huskies added three runs in the sixth and one in the seventh to take the game into extra innings.
Poore hit a solo home run in the eighth inning to put Oregon up, 6-5. Harris relieved Vidlund to earn the save.
Oregon is 7-1 in extra-inning games this season.
The Ducks came out strong on Sunday against Washington, picking up another 6-5 victory.
Oregon opened with four runs in the first. Hutchison singled, senior third baseman Lynsey Haij walked and Boskovich laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners.
Vidlund drove in Hutchison and Haij then scored on a double by Laux. Poore drove in Laux for the Ducks’ fourth run.
Washington tied the game with four runs in the second.
The Ducks added a run in the third when senior outfielder Janelle Bergstrom drove in Vidlund. In the fourth, Boskovich drove in Sabol.
The Huskies added a run in the sixth, but Harris held them scoreless in the seventh.
The Ducks’ two Pac-10 wins give them their best conference record since 1999, when they won 10 games.
Oregon returns to Howe Field for its final home game of the season. The Ducks host No. 6 California on Friday and No. 12 Stanford in a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon.