After a roughly 25-minute replay review at the end of the first game of Friday’s doubleheader, the Ducks took the field against the Stanford Cardinal for the second game. They lost 3-1, splitting the doubleheader.
Right-hander Makenna Kliethermes started on the mound for the Ducks. She came out of the gate a bit wild, but worked around a walk to pitch a scoreless first inning. The Ducks got only a single from Hanna Delgado in the bottom of the first.
Kliethermes struck out three in the next two innings, and didn’t allow a hit through the first three. Meanwhile, the Ducks went down quietly in the third as the game remained scoreless.
The Cardinal recorded their first hit with a bunt single to lead off the fourth, but Oregon catcher Terra McGowan made an impressive throw to catch the runner stealing.
Two doubles in the fifth for Stanford broke the ice, and the Cardinal took a 1-0 lead.
The Ducks fought back in the fifth. Rachel Cid singled and Alyssa Brito doubled to put two runners in scoring position. Mya Felder then hit a ball that was dropped by the Cardinal first baseman, and Cid came home with the tying run.
Stanford induced three consecutive groundouts though to avoid any further damage and keep the game tied. Just like the first game, the score was 1-1 after five.
Brito made a spectacular diving catch at shortstop in the sixth to help out Kliethermes. However, after allowing a one-out triple, Kliethermes was taken out for Samaria Diaz. The first pitch Diaz threw was hit for a single, and Stanford retook the lead. An infield single just beyond the reach of Allee Bunker extended the Cardinal lead to 3-1.
Bunker singled in the sixth, but Stanford turned a quick, impressive double play to hold their lead.
Diaz struck out two in a perfect eighth inning to keep the Ducks within striking distance.
Rachel Cid drove one to right-center field to lead off the seventh, but the Stanford right fielder made a running catch. Felder hit a two-out double, and Gabby Herrera was hit by a pitch to put the tying runs on base for Deijah Pangilinan, with Cruse looming on deck. However, she grounded out as the Ducks lost 3-1 and split the doubleheader.
“We need to get to that pressure sooner,” head coach Melyssa Lombardi said. “We didn’t get there quick enough.”
The Ducks and Cardinal will play game three of their four-game series Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
