University of Oregon
5-0
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UTEP
1-2
Bats Stay Hot in 14-0 Win Over UTEP
02/10/18 | Softball
The No. 3 Ducks continued to put up eye-popping offensive numbers to open the season on Saturday night in a 14-0 win over UTEP
TEMPE, Ariz. - The No. 3 ranked Oregon softball team continued to put up eye-popping offensive numbers to open the season on Saturday night in a 14-0 win over UTEP in five innings at the Tempe Sports Complex.
The Ducks (5-0) outscored their opponents 28-2 in two games on Saturday after beating Missouri 14-2 earlier in the day, and they have plated 59 total runs through their first five games of the season. Oregon has won four straight games by way of the run rule and will close out its weekend at the Kajikawa Classic on Sunday against New Mexico.
How it Happened: Lauren Burke, making her first start of the year in right field, gave the Ducks an early lead in the second inning with her first collegiate hit. The freshman laced a two-out, two-run single to left to score a pair, and then came around to score on a UTEP error after an Alexis Mack bunt single to make it 3-0. Freshman Mary Iakopo extended the lead to 4-0 in the third with a two-out RBI double.
After erupting for nine runs in the second inning earlier in the day against Missouri, the Ducks went off for seven runs on seven hits in the fourth inning to break things open against UTEP (1-2). Jenna Lilley got things started with an RBI double, and Shannon Rhodes followed with a run-scoring single. Mia Camuso then laced an RBI double of her own, and Iakopo made it 8-0 with an RBI single.
With four runs already across in the inning, junior Cherish Burks took advantage of a pinch-hitting opportunity with a three-run home run to left field to make it 11-0.
Oregon plated three more runs in the top of the fifth to cap off its scoring. Darya Kaboli-Nejad picked up an RBI with a pinch-hit fielders choice, and Iakopo and DJ Sanders both drove in runs with the bases loaded on a hit by pitch and a walk, respectively.
Not to be overlooked by the offensive outpour was the performance of sophomore Miranda Elish (2-0), who struck out 10 and scattered just four hits over five scoreless innings.
At the Plate: Iakopo finished 3-for-3 with three RBIs, Burks drove in three with her second career home run, and Mack recorded three hits while scoring twice. Burke went 1-for-3 with two RBIs in her first collegiate start, and Lilley, Rhodes, Camuso and Sanders each drove in one run apiece.
In the Circle: Elish earned her second win of the weekend with her second five-inning shutout. The sophomore has allowed just six hits and no runs over 10.1 innings so far to start the year while striking out 19 and walking just one.
Notable: Senior Gwen Svekis' incredible streak of four straight games with a home run to start the season came to an end with an 0-for-2 day … The Ducks drew six walks and struck out just twice against UTEP … Oregon has started 5-0 for the second season in a row after last year's NCAA record-tying 35-0 start.
Up Next: The Ducks will wrap up their weekend at the Kajikawa Classic on Sunday against New Mexico at 10:30 a.m. PT at the Tempe Sports Complex.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Elish, Miranda (2-0)
L: Cretz, D (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Lilley, Jenna 1 ; Camuso, Mia 1 ; Iakopo, Mary 1
HR: Burks, Cherish 1
RBI: Lilley, Jenna 1 ; Rhodes, Shannon 1 ; Kaboli-Nejad, Darya 1 ; Camuso, Mia 1 ; Iakopo, Mary 3 ; Sanders, DJ 1 ; Burks, Cherish 3 ; Burke, Lauren 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Mack, Alexis 2 ; Lilley, Jenna 1 ; Rhodes, Shannon 2 ; Svekis, Gwen 1 ; Kaboli-Nejad, Darya 1 ; Camuso, Mia 1 ; Iakopo, Mary 2 ; Sanders, DJ 2 ; Burks, Cherish 1 ; Burke, Lauren 1
SB: Mack, Alexis 1 ; Rhodes, Shannon 1
HBP: Svekis, Gwen 1 ; Iakopo, Mary 1
