Kleist One-Hits Houston in 1-0 Win

Thursday, February 15

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

12:00 PM

University of Oregon

7-0

Houston

3-2

Houston

Oregon

Photo by: Eric Evans/GoDucks.com

02/15/18 | Softball

Box Score Box: #3 Oregon 1, Houston 0

Junior Megan Kleist threw a one-hit, complete-game shutout with 10 strikeouts on Thursday to lead the No. 3 Ducks to a 1-0 win over Houston

By: Nate Krueger

PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico - Junior Megan Kleist threw a one-hit, complete-game shutout on Thursday to lead the No. 3 ranked Oregon softball team to a 1-0 win over Houston in the first game of the Puerto Vallarta Challenge at Nancy Almaraz Field.

The Ducks (7-0) were unable to get much going offensively on Thursday after erupting for 73 runs through six games last weekend in Arizona, but Kleist was dominant from start to finish to keep Oregon undefeated early in the season.

How it Happened: Oregon scored its lone run of the game in the first inning, with the middle of its order coming through with two outs. Sophomore Shannon Rhodes singled with two outs and then stole second, and senior Gwen Svekis brought her home with an RBI single to left field.

That was all the offense Kleist (3-0) would need against Houston (3-2). The junior from Appleton, Wisc., allowed just two baserunners the entire game - a one-out single in the third inning and an Oregon error in the sixth - while striking out 10 with no walks. Kleist set the Cougars down in order in five of the seven innings and needed just 84 pitches to finish off the complete-game shutout.

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In the Circle: Kleist finished just one strikeout shy of her career-high while throwing the 15th shutout and 30th complete game of her career.

At the Plate: Rhodes, Svekis, Alexis Mack, Jenna Lilley and Mary Iakopo each finished with a hit for the Ducks, with Svekis driving in the lone run of the game. Mack extended her team-best hitting streak to 13 games with the only extra-base hit of the contest, a double down the left-field line in the fifth inning.

Up Next: The Ducks will continue with the Puerto Vallarta Challenge on Friday with an evening double-header. Oregon will take on Rutgers at 3 p.m. PT before facing Texas at 6 p.m., with both games set to be streamed on collegesportslive.com.

Here's a look at six of @MeganKleist's 10 strikeouts today. She improved to 3-0 this season with her 15th career shutout and 30th career complete game #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/jqaf5TsKLO
— Oregon Softball (@OregonSB) February 16, 2018