University of Oregon
#25 Arizona State
Ducks Win in Extras, Sweep ASU
04/24/16 | Softball
TEMPE, Ariz. – Janelle Lindvall hit a three-run homer in the eighth and No. 5 Oregon defeated No. 25 Arizona State, 7-4, in extras on Sunday afternoon to sweep the series for the second straight year.
The Ducks (35-6, 13-2 Pac-12) have now swept a Pac-12 series 21 times while being swept just three times in six-plus seasons under head coach Mike White.
RECORDS WATCH: With her huge three-run homer in the eighth, Janelle Lindvall matched Kailee Cuico for the Oregon record with 180 career RBIs. Lindvall is also now three home runs back of Cuico's program record of 46 career homers.
HOW IT HAPPENED: After Arizona State struck first in both the first and second game, the Ducks jumped out to the early lead on Sunday.
Koral Costa smashed a two-run opposite field homer to start the scoring before Hailey Decker drove in another with a RBI single.
The bats then went quiet for the Ducks, however, as Arizona State tied it up, 3-3, with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first and one more in the fourth. Costa quickly broke the tie in the fifth with a solo homer, her second of the game, to give the Ducks a 4-3 lead.
Arizona State didn't fold and a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh sent the game into extra innings.
The Ducks came out firing in the eighth, with Geri Ann Glasco starting with a single and moving to third on a double from Jenna Lilley. That set up Lindvall, who belted a three-run blast off the scoreboard in left field.
Megan Kleist finished off the game in the bottom of the eighth to give Oregon its eighth straight win overall.
CLUTCH MOMENT: With runners at second and third and no outs after ASU tied up the game, 3-3, in the fourth, Geri Ann Glasco come on in relief of Megan Kleist and retired three straight batters to get Oregon out of the jam. In the first game of the series, Glasco came on to pitch for the Ducks in the fourth inning after the bases were loaded with no outs and worked Oregon out of the jam then as well.
BOX SCORE BLAST: Costa went 2-for-4 with a pair of home runs and three RBIs while Lindvall also drove in three RBIs, all coming on her eighth inning homer…Jenna Lilley went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an eighth inning double.
LILLEY HEATING UP: After going 3-for-4 on Sunday, Jenna Lilley is hitting .538 with a .667 on-base percentage in six games since coming back from injury in the Oregon State series. She is now hitting .310 on the season.
UP NEXT: The Ducks head home to meet top-25 ranked Arizona next weekend, with the first two games on Pac-12 Networks and the Sunday finale on ESPN2.
