Ducks Drop Heartbreaker to SDSU, 4-3

Saturday, February 13

Tempe, Ariz.

2:00 PM

University of Oregon

2-1

San Diego State

5-0

Oregon

San Diego State

02/14/10 | Softball

Box Score

By: GoDucks.com

* A boxscore and play-by-play is located in the LINKS box to the right.

TEMPE, Ariz. – The University of Oregon softball team (2-1) suffered its first loss of the season in dramatic fashion in Saturday's second-day opener in the Kajikawa Classic.

After Oregon scored two runs in the top of the eighth inning to go up 3-1, San Diego State catcher Kristin May delivered a 3-run double to deep center field to keep SDSU (6-0) perfect on the season with a 4-3 win.

Duck starting pitcher and sophomore Samantha Skillingstad (1-1) pitched her second complete game in as many days, and in her 7.2 innings, struck out seven, walked two, and three of her four runs allowed were earned.

SDSU took a 1-0 lead in the third inning when the opening batter Felicia Reifschneider singled, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, then scored on a single to centerfield by Justeen Maeva.

Oregon answered with its first run in the top of the sixth inning as freshman right fielder Samantha Pappas lined a 1-2 pitch over the center field wall for her first career home run.

After the two teams were still tied 1-1 at the end of the regulation seven innings, UO scored two runs in the top half of the eighth inning, when Samantha Skillingstad reached on an error on a bobbled sacrifice bunt by the third baseman, stole second base in her first career attempt, then scored with one out with the leadoff runner and senior Hannah Barril on a double by freshman left fielder Allie Burger to put UO up 3-1.

The next batter Pappas was intentionally walked, and freshman second baseman Kaylan Howard followed with a single to centerfield to load the bases with one out. However, a pair of strikeouts ended the inning.

At game's end at for UO, five batters claimed single hits on the day – Pappas (1-for-3, 1 run, 1 walk), Howard (1-for-4), sophomore first baseman Monique Fuiava (1-for-3), Skillingstad (1-for-2) and Burger (1-for-3, 2 RBI).

Among other Duck batting notes, Pappas' homer marked the fourth different Duck to homer already this year as UO has five as a team.

For the returning NCAA tournament qualifiers SDSU, six batters hit safely, and Reifschneider had two hits (2-for-4, 2 runs). Starting Aztec pitcher Samantha Beasley (5-0) pitched the complete game, struck out 11, walked one, and one of her three runs allowed were earned.

The Aztecs threatened to score early in the game and stranded two runners in the first inning after a pair of one-out singles, but a pair of infield outs ended the inning. After stranding another runner in the second, SDSU opened the third inning with a single, followed by a sacrifice bunt and walk, but Skilingstad came back with a strikeout and fly-out to the right field warning track to end the inning.

Looking ahead, UO faces Texas Tech (2-1) immediately after on the same field at the Tempe Sports Complex.

LINESCORE

San Diego State 4, Oregon 3 (Feb 13, 2010 at Tempe, Ariz.)
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Oregon.............. 000 001 02 - 3 5 2 (2-1)
San Diego State..... 001 000 03 - 4 7 2 (5-0)
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Pitchers: Oregon - Skillingstad, Sam and Kivett, Ashley. San Diego State - BEASLEY, Samantha
and MAY, Kristin.
Win-BEASLEY, Samantha(5-0) Loss-Skillingstad, Sam(1-1) T-1:50 A-250
HR ORE - Pappas, Sam.
Weather: 72, sunny, wind L-R 2-5mph

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