Friday, March 24
Eugene, OR
6:00 PM
University of Oregon
20-8, 0
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UCLA
27-4, 0
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UCLA
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Oregon
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Photo by: Eric Evans/GoDucks.com
Ducks Take Opener With No. 3 Bruins, 3-0
03/24/23 | Softball
Morgan Scott threw a shutout and Terra McGowan drove in two runs for the No. 19 Ducks, who host the Bruins again Saturday in Jane Sanders Stadium.
EUGENE, Ore. — Playing their third straight series against a top-10 opponent, the Oregon softball team made a strong opening statement against No. 3 UCLA on Friday at Jane Sanders Stadium, shutting out the Bruins, 3-0.
UO senior Terra McGowan homered in the first and had an RBI double in the fifth for the No. 19 Ducks (20-8, 3-4 Pac-12). She also caught pitcher Morgan Scott, who followed up her win over Stanford the week before by again going seven innings without allowing an earned run to a top-10 opponent, this time the Bruins.
"Morgan's coming into her own," UO head coach Melyssa Lombardi said. "You can see she's really settling in and understanding what she's wanting to do. And I just love it. I love that our team just rallies around her, just the energy that she gives off. These guys want to play really, really hard for her."
Scott allowed two hits and walked one Friday, while striking out four. She allowed only one runner to reach scoring position and faced the minimum over the last 4 2/3 innings.
"Honestly, I think that's my top, No. 1 moment in my college career," said Scott, a senior transfer for the Ducks. "I've faced a lot of schools and everything, but beating No. 3 UCLA and only allowing two hits, it's an amazing feeling."
How It Happened: After striking out the first hitter of the game, Scott surrendered her only walk, to UCLA shortstop Maya Brady, who entered the week hitting .467. But Scott set down the next two hitters and Brady was stranded.
With one out in the bottom of the inning, McGowan lined the second pitch she saw from UCLA's Megan Faraimo over the fence in left-center field for her team-leading ninth home run of the season. Scott had an early lead, courtesy of her catcher.
"Having Tara behind the plate, she's an amazing catcher, she really works back there," Scott said. "We have a really good relationship. But having her have the first run, it meant a whole lot."
About the only trouble Scott experienced the rest of the way came in the third, when UCLA's leadoff hitter singled. UO first baseman KK Humphreys made a slick play to field a bunt and fire to second to get the lead runner for the first out. The hitter who reached on the bunt stole second, but Scott struck out the next two batters, including Brady.
The Ducks then tacked on in the bottom of the third. Hanna Delgado singled with one out, stole second and scored on an error.
"I really liked how our defense kept getting quick outs and then shifting that momentum to our offense," Lombardi said "Then our offense was doing good things, which shifted to our defense. I think about us and it's just us playing the way that we want to play, and I thought you got to see that tonight."
Oregon added on in the fifth, when Paige Sinicki dropped down a bunt that UCLA third baseman and UO transfer Rachel Cid couldn't field cleanly. Sinicki took second on another Bruins error, then scored on a double to right-center by McGowan.
At that point, Scott was in the midst of retiring the final 10 UCLA hitters in order. That stretch began with a double play turned at second base by Allee Bunker to end the fourth, and the last four outs of the game were flyballs tracked down by Delgado and Vallery Wong, two apiece.
Notable: The Ducks ended UCLA's six-game winning streak in the series. … Oregon improved to 6-5 this season against ranked opponents, including 4-5 against top-10 teams. … The Ducks entered the weekend tied for the Pac-12 lead with 11 double plays, and added to that total Friday when Bunker turned one herself in the fourth inning.
Quotable:
UO catcher Terra McGowan on facing Faraimo, the reigning Pac-12 pitcher of the year
"With my age I've had the luxury of facing Megan since I was probably 14. So I've had the most at-bats off of her, and I think we had a really great game plan going in and I credit that to Coach (Sam) Marder. We prepared and we prepared and just were feeling confident in the box."
UO head coach Melyssa Lombardi on not overreacting to a couple close losses to Stanford the week before
"You definitely have to get caught up in your process. If you don't get caught up in your process, I think it's going to be just a long season of ups and downs. It's just trusting in your process and knowing that if you continue to grind with it, things will come your way."
Up Next: The Ducks and Bruins meet again Saturday (2 p.m., Pac-12 Network).
UO senior Terra McGowan homered in the first and had an RBI double in the fifth for the No. 19 Ducks (20-8, 3-4 Pac-12). She also caught pitcher Morgan Scott, who followed up her win over Stanford the week before by again going seven innings without allowing an earned run to a top-10 opponent, this time the Bruins.
"Morgan's coming into her own," UO head coach Melyssa Lombardi said. "You can see she's really settling in and understanding what she's wanting to do. And I just love it. I love that our team just rallies around her, just the energy that she gives off. These guys want to play really, really hard for her."
Scott allowed two hits and walked one Friday, while striking out four. She allowed only one runner to reach scoring position and faced the minimum over the last 4 2/3 innings.
"Honestly, I think that's my top, No. 1 moment in my college career," said Scott, a senior transfer for the Ducks. "I've faced a lot of schools and everything, but beating No. 3 UCLA and only allowing two hits, it's an amazing feeling."
How It Happened: After striking out the first hitter of the game, Scott surrendered her only walk, to UCLA shortstop Maya Brady, who entered the week hitting .467. But Scott set down the next two hitters and Brady was stranded.
With one out in the bottom of the inning, McGowan lined the second pitch she saw from UCLA's Megan Faraimo over the fence in left-center field for her team-leading ninth home run of the season. Scott had an early lead, courtesy of her catcher.
"Having Tara behind the plate, she's an amazing catcher, she really works back there," Scott said. "We have a really good relationship. But having her have the first run, it meant a whole lot."
SCO DUCKS ??@Morgan_Scotty11 throws a complete game shutout as No. 18 @OregonSB upsets No. 4 UCLA, 3-0.#NCAASoftball x ?? Pac-12 Networkpic.twitter.com/gbHx2pcZAK
— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) March 25, 2023
About the only trouble Scott experienced the rest of the way came in the third, when UCLA's leadoff hitter singled. UO first baseman KK Humphreys made a slick play to field a bunt and fire to second to get the lead runner for the first out. The hitter who reached on the bunt stole second, but Scott struck out the next two batters, including Brady.
The Ducks then tacked on in the bottom of the third. Hanna Delgado singled with one out, stole second and scored on an error.
"I really liked how our defense kept getting quick outs and then shifting that momentum to our offense," Lombardi said "Then our offense was doing good things, which shifted to our defense. I think about us and it's just us playing the way that we want to play, and I thought you got to see that tonight."
Oregon added on in the fifth, when Paige Sinicki dropped down a bunt that UCLA third baseman and UO transfer Rachel Cid couldn't field cleanly. Sinicki took second on another Bruins error, then scored on a double to right-center by McGowan.
At that point, Scott was in the midst of retiring the final 10 UCLA hitters in order. That stretch began with a double play turned at second base by Allee Bunker to end the fourth, and the last four outs of the game were flyballs tracked down by Delgado and Vallery Wong, two apiece.
Notable: The Ducks ended UCLA's six-game winning streak in the series. … Oregon improved to 6-5 this season against ranked opponents, including 4-5 against top-10 teams. … The Ducks entered the weekend tied for the Pac-12 lead with 11 double plays, and added to that total Friday when Bunker turned one herself in the fourth inning.
Quotable:
UO catcher Terra McGowan on facing Faraimo, the reigning Pac-12 pitcher of the year
"With my age I've had the luxury of facing Megan since I was probably 14. So I've had the most at-bats off of her, and I think we had a really great game plan going in and I credit that to Coach (Sam) Marder. We prepared and we prepared and just were feeling confident in the box."
UO head coach Melyssa Lombardi on not overreacting to a couple close losses to Stanford the week before
"You definitely have to get caught up in your process. If you don't get caught up in your process, I think it's going to be just a long season of ups and downs. It's just trusting in your process and knowing that if you continue to grind with it, things will come your way."
Up Next: The Ducks and Bruins meet again Saturday (2 p.m., Pac-12 Network).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Scott, Morgan (5-3)
L: Faraimo, Megan (13-2)
Base Running:
SB: Godin, Kelli 1
Batting:
2B: McGowan, Terra 1
HR: McGowan, Terra 1
RBI: McGowan, Terra 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Delgado, Hanna 1 ; McGowan, Terra 1 ; Sinicki, Paige 1
SB: Delgado, Hanna 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
cf/lf
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
0
H
0
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
UT
/ Softball
IF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
RHP
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
UT
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