Adjustments At The Plate Help Ducks Beat Bison, Advance To Regional Final

Friday, May 15

Howe Field

11:00 AM

University of Oregon

48-6

#24 NDSU

44-10

North Dakota State

Oregon

Photo by: GoDucks.com

Adjustments At The Plate Help Ducks Beat Bison, Advance To Regional Final

05/15/15 | Softball

Box Score

By: GoDucks.com

by Rob Moseley
Editor, GoDucks.com

In her first start at this week's Eugene Regional, senior pitcher Krista Menke of North Dakota State was typically masterful. The big right-hander won for the 33rd time this season, a two-hit shutout of Fresno State in which she struck out 10 — giving her 372 this season, second-most in the NCAA.

Nobody had a better view of Menke's brilliance Thursday than Oregon coach Mike White. The Ducks were scheduled to play later in the day at Howe Field, and would face either North Dakota State or Fresno State come Friday. Here was a golden opportunity to scout the competition, and White sat in the third row of the bleachers behind home plate with his staff, taking notes after every pitch.

What White learned Thursday — that Menke isn't quite the flamethrower some others are, but that she has pinpoint control and attacks both sides of the plate — was put to use by the Ducks on Friday. After having just one baserunner the first time through the lineup, Oregon (48-6) sent eight hitters to the plate in the fourth inning and scored four times on five hits, giving the Ducks a 4-3 victory over the Bison and a chance to advance to Super Regionals with a victory Saturday.

"I thought we had a pretty good game plan," White said afterward. "It worked out OK, to get four runs. We're pretty happy with that."

The Bison (44-10) led early, on a first-inning solo homer by Cheyenne Garcia. That was just the second earned run allowed by UO pitcher Cheridan Hawkins in six career NCAA Regional appearances, and North Dakota State tacked on two more with a two-run homer in the sixth.

But by then, the Ducks had done their damage against Menke. Janie Takeda led off the fourth with her UO record-tying 41st career double, then scored on a single by Jenna Lilley. Hailey Decker doubled home Lilley before later scoring on a wild pitch, and Koral Costa capped the rally with a home run.

Oregon only managed one other hit in the game — Takeda's school-record 42nd career double, in the fifth — but four runs in the fourth were enough. "Often when we get going, it's kind of contagious throughout our team," Takeda said. "That's Oregon softball."

Among the notes White made for himself Thursday while watching from the stands was that Menke will work off the plate, in an effort to get hitters to chase. Don't expand your strike zone, White told his hitters.

As it turned out, that bit of coaching wasn't necessary. Menke attacked the zone more than usual against the Ducks, to avoid walks. "We knew if we put people on base, it would be a tough battle for us," NDSU coach Darren Mueller said in a nod to Oregon's offensive depth. "If they're going to beat us, hit the ball."

That the Ducks did, though not until the fourth inning. White's scouting report of Menke was essentially "right on," he said, but that didn't mean Oregon's hitters would have an easy time at the plate.

In fact, Menke cruised through the order her first time around, the only blemish a two-out walk in the first by Lilley. "It always helps seeing more pitches as the game goes on," Takeda said. "Making more adjustments every time out."

What facing Menke the first time Friday illustrated was just how patient Oregon's hitters needed to be; she has an imposing mound presence, and imposing strikeout numbers, which belie the fact she doesn't have overpowering velocity.

The Ducks needed to wait a fraction of a second longer at the plate, which they began doing the second time through the order. "We were able to let the ball get a little bit deeper," White said. "And then we were able to drive the ball."

Decker brilliantly illustrated Oregon's ability to adjust during her fourth-inning at-bat. Twice, she pulled line drives foul down the third-base line. Then, she waited a hair longer, and drove a double just inside the base line, plating Lilley.

The fourth-inning rally wasn't a knockout punch. The Bison continued to battle, a lesson White said he hopes his Ducks took to heart.

And Hawkins wasn't pleased to allow three runs, after having surrendered just one in 20 2/3 career NCAA Regional innings prior to Friday. "But I like to win," she said with a relieved smile. "So I'm glad we won."

After an opening game Thursday in which Hawkins was seemingly good enough to beat anybody, credit Friday to masterful pregame scouting by White and his staff — and an impressive job of implementing that scout and making in-game adjustments by Oregon's hitters.