University of Oregon
46-6, 21-3
#17 Arizona
38-17, 13-11
Ducks Claim Third Straight Outright Pac-12 Championship
05/10/15 | Softball
TUCSON, Ariz. – Before the game even began, Oregon learned it had won its third straight outright Pac-12 title. The Ducks came out swinging regardless, defeating No. 17 Arizona, 15-7, in five innings.
The Ducks found out about their outright title about 30 minutes prior to first pitch, when Arizona State walked off to beat UCLA, 11-10, in Tempe. The ASU win eliminated any chance at a shared title with the Bruins. Oregon has won three straight Pac-12 championships after never winning a league title in the history of the program. Oregon is the first team to win three straight league championships since Arizona won three in a row from 2003-05.
"Three straight championships is a measure of our consistency," said head coach Mike White. "We've built a program now where we can lose some great seniors like last year but have each class step up and keep us going. This team is deep and talented and we're looking forward to the postseason."
The No. 1 ranked Ducks improved to 46-6 (21-3 Pac-12) with the win in their regular season finale. Oregon has now claimed 24 of its last 26 Pac-12 series and the Ducks' 21 league wins is the most in program history.
Scoring Summary: The Ducks started the game in a big way with a seven run first inning. Geri Ann Glasco had a two-RBI single but Lauren Lindvall had the big hit in the inning, a three-run homer.
Fellow freshman Gwen Svekis one-upped her classmate in the second with a grand slam, the Ducks' eighth grand slam of the season and second for Svekis.
After not scoring in the third, the Ducks batted around in the fourth and scored four more runs. Koral Costa hit a three-run blast with one out in the frame.
In the Circle: Cheridan Hawkins started for the Ducks and, while she recorded nine strikeouts and improved to 27-3 with the win, gave up a season-high seven runs in the game on eight hits.
Hawkins entered the game with 12 home runs allowed all season and never more than two in any game. She gave up five to the Wildcats on Saturday. Hawkins pitched the first four innings before giving way to Karissa Hovinga. But after recording one out in the fifth, Hawkins re-entered and picked up the final two outs of the game.
Stat Sheet: Leadoff hitter Nikki Udria led the Ducks with three hits while Costa and Svekis each had four RBIs. The bottom three hitters in the lineup – Costa, Svekis and Lindvall – tallied 11 RBIs on five hits and scored six runs.
Up Next: No. 1 Oregon learns who it will face in the NCAA regional round next weekend at Howe Field with the tournament selection show on Sunday at 7 p.m. on ESPNU.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Hawkins, Cheridan (27-3)
L: Floyd, Michelle (18-12)
Batting:
2B: Decker, Hailey 1
HR: Costa, Koral 1 ; Svekis, Gwen 1 ; Lindvall, Lauren 1
RBI: Takeda, Janie 1 ; Glasco, Geri Ann 2 ; Costa, Koral 4 ; Svekis, Gwen 4 ; Lindvall, Lauren 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Udria, Nikki 1 ; Lilley, Jenna 1 ; Decker, Hailey 3 ; Lindvall, Janelle 2 ; Glasco, Geri Ann 2 ; Costa, Koral 3 ; Svekis, Gwen 1 ; Lindvall, Lauren 2
Batting:
2B: Perez, Mandie 1
HR: Fox, Kellie 2 ; Mauga, Katiyana 2 ; Mercado, Mo 1
RBI: Fox, Kellie 2 ; Mauga, Katiyana 3 ; Mercado, Mo 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Fox, Kellie 3 ; Mauga, Katiyana 2 ; Perez, Mandie 1 ; Mercado, Mo 1
