University of Oregon
32-5, 10-2
#10 UCLA
31-8, 6-3
Ducks Blast Past UCLA, Win Big Pac-12 Series
04/05/15 | Softball
LOS ANGELES – Koral Costa and Janelle Lindvall each hit grand slams as the No. 1 ranked Oregon softball team defeated No. 10 UCLA, 10-0, on Sunday to claim the three-game series.
The Ducks improved to 32-5 (10-2 Pac-12) on the season while the Bruins slipped to 31-8 (6-3) with the loss. Oregon took two games in the three-game series, its fifth straight series win over UCLA.
The last two times UCLA has been run-ruled has been against the Ducks, while the last time UCLA was run-ruled at home was in 2009 by Missouri in the NCAA super regionals.
Scoring Summary: After both teams were held scoreless in the first and second innings, Oregon exploded for a five-run third.
As she did in the first inning on Saturday, Danica Mercado drove in the Ducks' first run of the game when she was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. That set up Costa, who smashed her team-leading 11th home run of the game high over the left field fence for a grand slam.
Oregon took the 5-0 lead into the fourth, when Lindvall hit a grand slam of her own to left center to make it a 9-0 lead.
The Ducks tacked on another run in the fifth when Geri Ann Glasco smacked a RBI single to center.
Even with the pair of grand slams, Mercado's bases loaded hit-by-pitch was more than enough for Oregon's star pitcher.
In the Circle: After a pair of shaky starts on Friday and Saturday, Cheridan Hawkins was back to her dominating self on Sunday with her seventh shutout of the season.
The junior improved to 16-3 with the win after allowed just two hits and three walks in five scoreless innings. Hawkins struck out six. The lefty now has a 1.06 ERA on the year with 133 strikeouts in 106 innings pitched with just 47 hits and 30 walks allowed.
Stat Sheet: Hailey Decker drew three walks in the game, and despite not getting a hit in the series, she had a .500 on-base percentage and scored three runs.
Up Next: The Ducks head to Hillsboro for a doubleheader with Portland State at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Tuesday at Gordon Faber Recreation Complex Field No. 4. There is a turf field at the complex where the games will be played if there is rain in the forecast.
The Ducks host Arizona State next weekend at Howe Field.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Hawkins, Cheridan (16-3)
L: Carda, Ally (17-4)
Batting:
HR: Lindvall, Janelle 1 ; Costa, Koral 1
RBI: Glasco, Geri Ann 1 ; Lindvall, Janelle 4 ; Mercado, Danica 1 ; Costa, Koral 4
Base Running:
RUNS: Udria, Nikki 2 ; Lilley, Jenna 1 ; Decker, Hailey 2 ; Puentes, Sammie 1 ; Lindvall, Janelle 2 ; Mercado, Danica 1 ; Costa, Koral 1
SB: Udria, Nikki 1 ; Lilley, Jenna 1
HBP: Lindvall, Janelle 2 ; Mercado, Danica 1
Base Running:
HBP: Goulder, Gracie 1
