University of Oregon
25-3, 5-0
Utah
20-11, 0-5
Ducks Club Five Home Runs in Win
03/22/15 | Softball
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Oregon hitters smashed five home runs and the Ducks defeated Utah, 15-9, on Sunday in the second of a three-game series against the Utes.
The Ducks improved to 25-3 (5-0 Pac-12) with the victory while the Utes slipped to 20-11 (0-5).
Oregon has beaten Utah 15 straight times and the Ducks will go for its second straight Pac-12 sweep of the season on Monday.
Scoring Summary: Utah jumped out to the early lead when Kate Dickman hit a solo homer in the first inning off Oregon starting pitcher Geri Ann Glasco.
The Ducks tied it up in the second when Hailey Decker scored from third on a RBI groundout. Oregon took a 3-1 lead in the third when, after a pair of two-out walks, Janelle Lindvall ripped a triple off the wall in left to drive in a pair.
Koral Costa added to the lead when she hit her team-leading eighth homer of the season, a two-run bomb to center field, in the fourth inning.
The Ducks had a 5-1 lead entering the fifth when they exploded for five more runs. Jenna Lilley scored the first run of the inning after an error by the first baseman on a grounder. Decker followed with a three-run blast to left field to make it a 9-1 game before Danica Mercado crushed a line drive solo shot to right for a 10-1 advantage.
Just three outs from a run-rule, Utah would not go down without swinging. The Utes tallied six runs in the bottom of the fifth, including a three-run blast by Dickman, her second homer of the game.
Oregon responded and made it an 11-7 lead in the top of the sixth as Jenna Lilley hit a solo homer to right, the Ducks' fourth home run of the game. Lilley homered again in the Ducks' four-run seventh inning, the freshman's first career multi-homer game.
In the Circle: After giving up the first inning homer to Dickman, Glasco settled in nicely until the fifth. The junior righthander went 1-2-3 in the second, issued just a lone walk in the third, and sat the side down in order again in the fourth.
The wheels came off in the fifth as Utah tallied five runs before the Ducks went with Karissa Hovinga. Hovinga allowed another run in the frame following a double and a single.
After the tumultuous fifth inning, Hovinga restored order sat down the Utes 1-2-3 in the sixth inning. Utah scored twice in the seventh before Hovinga got a flyout to right to end the game.
Stat Sheet: With 15 more on Sunday, the Ducks have scored 61 runs through its first five Pac-12 games. Lilley went 3-for-3 with four runs and three RBIs to pace the Ducks. Oregon's 3-4-5 hitters combined to go 7-for-12 against the Utes.
Record Book: The Ducks' five homers were their most in a game since clubbing a school record six home runs against Michigan in 2013.
Up Next: The Ducks will look for a sweep of Utah on Monday with first pitch at 11 a.m. PT.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Glasco, Geri Ann (5-0)
L: Donovan (8-4)
Batting:
2B: Gillespie, Alyssa 1 ; Glasco, Geri Ann 1 ; Mercado, Danica 1
3B: Takeda, Janie 1 ; Lindvall, Janelle 1
HR: Lilley, Jenna 2 ; Decker, Hailey 1 ; Costa, Koral 1 ; Mercado, Danica 1
RBI: Gillespie, Alyssa 1 ; Takeda, Janie 1 ; Lilley, Jenna 3 ; Lindvall, Janelle 2 ; Decker, Hailey 3 ; Costa, Koral 2 ; Mercado, Danica 1
SF: Takeda, Janie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Gillespie, Alyssa 1 ; Takeda, Janie 1 ; Lilley, Jenna 4 ; Puentes, Sammie 1 ; Glasco, Geri Ann 1 ; Decker, Hailey 2 ; Goodrum, Sara 1 ; Costa, Koral 1 ; Mercado, Danica 2 ; Udria, Nikki 1
SB: Takeda, Janie 1
Batting:
2B: Castro 1 ; Woodard 1
HR: Dickman 2
RBI: Flippen 2 ; Dickman 4 ; Stewart 1 ; Bowen 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Flippen 1 ; Dickman 2 ; Castro 2 ; Mendenhall 1 ; Bowen 1 ; Woodard 1 ; Urtez 1
