Beavers Top Ducks 2-1 in Civil War Finale

Saturday, April 11

Eugene, Ore.

1:00 PM

University of Oregon

13-23, 2-7

Oregon State

20-19, 3-6

Oregon State

OREGON

04/11/09 | Softball

Box Score

By: GoDucks.com

- A boxscore and play-by-play is located in the LINKS box to the right, updated stats are available via the link above.

EUGENE - Junior Neena Bryant belted her fifth homer of the season, but the University of Oregon softball team still fell, 2-1, to Oregon State Saturday at Howe Field in the Civil War season finale.

For UO (13-23, 2-7), senior pitcher Melissa Rice (0-5) made her first Pac-10 start of the season and 75th overall of her career. The Colville, Wash., native struck out two, walked one and allowed two earned runs to the Beavers in the fourth inning.

OSU scored its first run on a home run to left field by Audrey Roderfeld. After a fly-out by the next batter, a two-out double by Tarah Black led to a pitching change. Freshman Samantha Skillingstad relieved, and after an RBI single by Deann Young, the next batter popped out in foul territory to catcher Ashley Kivett.

Altogther for the game, Skillingstad struck out three, walked none and allowed only two hits and no runs in her 3 1/3 innings of work.

At the plate for the Ducks, Bryant opened the bottom of the fourth with a blast over the left field wall on a 1-1 pitch, and finished 2-for-3 for the day. The Placentia, Calif., is now tied for second on the season for UO in roundtrippers (5) and her 25th career shot Saturday moved her into a tie for sixth all-time for UO with former Duck Jennie Cook, and only behind Lindsey Welch (fifth, 26).

“The ball was high, I really should of let it go by for a ball but luck was on my side,” Bryant said. “I put a good swing on it and hit it well. Their pitchers did a good job of mixing there pitches. They kept us off-balance and we weren't able to put anything together.”

Bryant added a single in the first inning with two outs, as did junior Carlyn Re and Ashley Kivett who rapped singles in the second and seventh innings.

Bryant added her 23rd stolen base of the season after her first-inning hit and advanced to third on an error by the shortstop who was covering the play, but was stranded at third base after a strikeout. Bryant now has 60 stolen bases in her career and is tied for fourth all-time with former Duck Jill Robinson.

Oregon State starter Kelly Dyer (9-12) pitched the first five innings, struck out five, walked none, allowed three hits and UO's run was earned. Paige Hall earned her first save of the season with her two innings of relief, struck out two, walked none, and allowed one hit and no runs.

At the plate, the visitors had two players with multiple hits ? leadoff hitter Paige Lowe (2-for-4) and Roderfelt (2-for-3, 1 run, 1 RBI), and two others also hit safely.

With Saturday's outcome, Oregon State (20-19, 3-6) claimed the three-game season series - all of which were decided by one run - thanks to its 2-1 win in Corvallis three weeks ago. UO won the other meeting at Howe Field Friday, 3-2, thanks to homers by Sari Jane Jenkins (4) and Blair Williamson (3) and a complete game by Skillingstad that included eight strikeouts.

“We came out today with good energy and had good fielding,” Oregon head coach Kathy Arendsen said. “We didn't get as many hits as we should have ? we're a team that is based on speed and setting up runs - and we didn't get enough hits to help us do that. I'm proud of the effort that I saw. This was a game between two evenly matched teams, and we just didn't come out with the win.”

Glancing at UO's conference season stats, Jenkins is hitting a team-best .308 (5-for-26, 3 home runs, 1 double, 6 RBI), and is followed closely by Williamson (.286, 6-for-21, 2 home runs, 6 RBI, 1 double), while Bryant also has two homers in league play with the other at then-No. 11Arizona two weeks ago.

Overall for the season, Jenkins also tops the team in batting (.347, 41-for-118), just ahead of Bryant (.345, 39-for-113), and other category leaders include sophomore Monique Fuiava (8 homers, 7 doubles 15 walks, .548 slugging), Bryant (24 RBI, 2 triples, 63 total bases) and Jenkins (41 hits, 7 doubles).

Saturday's outcome meant that the two athletic departments tied in the annual all-sports Civil War competition sponsored by Northwest Dodge Dealers.

The Ducks' "Pink Out the Park" promotion Saturday - part of UO's breast cancer awareness month promotions - raised $845 for the Willamette Valley Cancer Center Foundation, thanks to a pre-game auction of UO's special pink game uniform tops, and other special Duck softball-related items.

Looking ahead, UO remains at home next weekend to host No. 3 Washington, Friday at 4 p.m., and No. 7 UCLA Saturday and Sunday, April 18 and 19 at 1 p.m. and 12 p.m.

LINESCORE

Oregon State 2, OREGON 1 (Apr 11, 2009 at Eugene, Ore)
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Oregon State........ 000 200 0 - 2 7 1 (20-19, 3-6 Pac-10)
OREGON.............. 000 100 0 - 1 4 0 (13-23, 2-7 Pac-10)
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Pitchers: Oregon State - Dyer; Hall(6) and Roderfeld; Ewing. OREGON - Rice, Melissa;
Skillingstad, Sam(4) and Kivett, Ashley.
Win-Dyer(9-12) Save-Hall(1) Loss-Rice, Melissa(0-5) T-1:44 A-409
HR OSU - Roderfeld.
HR ORE - Bryant, Neena.
Weather: 56, partly sunny, wind 2-6 mph