No. 8 Stanford Sneaks By Oregon, 1-0

Saturday, April 12

Stanford, Calif.

1 p.m.

University of Oregon

26-18, 1-7

Stanford

36-7, 3-5

Oregon

Stanford

04/12/08 | Softball

Box Score

By: GoDucks.com

* A boxscore and play-by-play is available in the links box to the right.

STANFORD, Calif. - Freshman pitcher Brittany Rumfelt and the University of Oregon softball defense held No. 8 Stanford to one run Saturday but the Cardinal held on to win, 1-0, at Smith Family Stadium.

Rumfelt (4-1) pitched her first Pac-10 complete game and fourth overall this season to boost the Duck cause.

The Lakeport, Calif., native allowed only three hits, struck out one and walked three, and her only allowed run was earned. Saturday marked her first conference start and her fourth conference appearance after she missed four weeks of the non-conference season because of a pitching finger stress fracture.

For comparison's sake, Rumfelt's three hits allowed was a season low, and at least four less than in her other complete game wins vs. Cal Poly (11), Long Island (6) and Northwestern State (7) the first two weeks of the campaign.

No. 8 Stanford (36-7, 3-5) scored its only run in the first inning after Rumfelt retired the first two hitters.

After a walk and a single, first baseman Melisa Koutz singled in the run from second base on a bouncer up the middle that Courtney Kivett couldn't quite glove behind second base. Two batters later with the bases loaded, Rumfelt retired the final batter on a soft liner that Kivett raced to her right for a shoestring catch at a similar place as before.

The Cardinal left two on base in the third inning. After an opening walk and single, Lovena Chaput forced the first out on a grounder that she raced to third base and slid to tag the base, barely beating the lead runner. A liner to Courtney Kivett and fly to left fielder Sari-Jane Jenkins ended the inning.

For Oregon (26-18, 1-7), the Ducks stranded runners who hit safely in the third and fourth innings. Jenkins sprayed a singled into left field with two outs in the third inning, and Bryant led off the fourth inning with a single to right field. Senior right fielder Kayleen Hudson and Ashley Kivett also reached base via walks in the second and third innings, respectively.

In the last five games, Jenkins is UO's hottest hitter and is hitting .375 (6-for-16), with two runs and an RBI.

UO's defense made several other particular noteworthy plays, including one by freshman Ashley Kivett. In her first start at third base, she ended the fifth on a 5-3 putout on the Cardinal's leading hitter Rosey Neill after she trapped a hard liner to her right foot and fired to first. Her sister Courtney was also busy at second base and recorded four putouts and had another assist.

The Ducks added a double play in the fourth inning when senior shortstop Lovena Chaput ensnared a liner up the middle and fired to first to get the runner who had broke on contact at the plate.

For the Cardinal, junior starter and returning All-Region pick Missy Penna (25-6) also pitched a complete game, and struck out five. Two Stanford batters reached safely via hits ? Neill (2-for-3) and first baseman Melisa Koutz (1-for-3)

Earlier in the weekend, the Ducks pushed No. 22 California to 11 innings Friday afternoon in Berkeley before the Bears won the game, 3-2, on an RBI double. Stanford won its Friday contest vs. Oregon State, 10-1, and gave head coach John Rittman his 500th career victory.

Looking ahead, the Ducks return for one more game at Stanford Sunday at noon.

LINESCORE

Stanford 1, Oregon 0 (Apr 12, 2008 at Stanford, Calif.)
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Oregon.............. 000 000 0 - 0 2 1 (26-18, 1-7 Pac-10)
Stanford............ 100 000 0 - 1 3 1 (36-7, 3-5 Pac-10)
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Pitchers: Oregon - Rumfelt, Brittany. Stanford - Penna.
Win-Penna(25-6) Loss-Rumfelt, Brittany(4-1) T-1:38 A-403
Weather: 75, sunny, wind 0-3 mph

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