Complete Effort Evens Series

Saturday, March 30

Stanford, CA

2:00 PM

University of Oregon

13-17, 1-7

Stanford

24-5, 3-1

Oregon

Stanford

Photo by: Samuel Marshall

03/30/19 | Softball

Box Score Box: Oregon 7, Stanford 2

By: Nate Krueger

STANFORD, Calif. – The Oregon softball team tied its season-high with 14 hits and sophomore Maddie MacGrandle turned in a solid outing in the circle on Saturday as the Ducks defeated Stanford, 7-2, to pull even in the three-game series at Boyd & Jill Smith Family Stadium.

The Ducks (13-17, 1-7 Pac-12) earned their first Pac-12 victory of the season and will go for the series win over the Cardinal on Sunday in the rubber match.

The bats were on ?? today!

All nine starters recorded at least one hit as the Ducks tied their season-high with 14 hits, led by a four-hit day by @haley_crusee, a grand slam by @BowdenShaye and @_rachelcid_'s second homer in as many games. #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/2Rdk8Tz5dE
— Oregon Softball (@OregonSB) March 31, 2019

How it Happened: Oregon's bats got off to a hot start for a second straight game, putting up a five-spot in the first inning to jump out to an early lead. After Allee Bunker opened Friday's game with a first-inning grand slam, sophomore Shaye Bowden got a hold of one with the bases loaded on Saturday for the first grand slam of her career to give the Ducks a fast 4-0 lead. Freshman Rachel Cid extended the lead to 5-0 two batters later with a solo shot to left, her second long ball in as many games.

Haley Cruse got things going in the second inning with a one-out double, the second of four hits for the junior, and Jasmine Sievers brought her around with an RBI single to make it 6-0, Ducks. Stanford (24-5, 3-1 Pac-12) got a run back in the bottom half on a two-out RBI triple.

The Ducks were held off the board in the third and fourth innings, but continued to put the pressure on Stanford starter Maddi Dwyer with two hits in the third and three in the fourth. Stanford cut Oregon's lead to 6-2 in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI double by leading hitter Teaghan Cowles.

Oregon's offense got back to work in the sixth inning, with Cherish Burks bringing in a run on an RBI groundout after base hits by Cruse and Hannah Galey to push the Ducks' lead to 7-2. MacGrandle gave way to freshman Kailey Krueger in the bottom of the sixth after 5.2 strong innings of work, and Krueger got a popout to end the inning and leave a pair of runners in scoring position.

The Ducks were held off the board in the seventh despite loading the bases on two hits and a walk, but Krueger tossed a scoreless bottom half to give Oregon its first conference win and even the three-game series at a game apiece.

At the Plate: Cruse led the offense with the first four-hit game of her career, and Bowden's first-inning slam gave her a career-high four RBIs. Cid took over the team lead in home runs (6), and both Sievers and Bunker finished with a pair of hits. Burks drove in a run in a 1-for-4 day, and Utecht, Galey and Annalisa Williamson all notched a base hit.

In the Circle: MacGrandle (3-6) turned in her best start yet as a Duck, allowing just two runs on five hits with two strikeouts over 5.2 strong innings. The sophomore also allowed just one walk and one hit batter in one of her most efficient apperances of the season. Krueger closed the door with 1.1 scoreless innings of relief, striking out two while giving up just one hit.

What it Means: After losing a 19-game win streak against the Cardinal on Friday, the Ducks came out swinging on Saturday and got right back on track with their first Pac-12 win of 2019. Oregon will go for its first Pac-12 series win on Sunday in the rubber match.

Up Next: The series finale is set for 1 p.m. on Sunday at Boyd & Jill Smith Family Stadium.