PFPs Play Role in Fifth Win in a Row

Saturday, April 15

Tempe, AZ

5:00 PM

University of Oregon

27-11, 7-7

Arizona State

21-15, 5-9

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Oregon	0	2	0	0	2	1	0	5	8	1
Arizona State	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	2	4	1

04/15/23 | Softball

Box Score Oregon-ASU Box Score G2

TEMPE, Ariz. – Pitchers' Fielding Practice – PFPs.

Of the multitudinous elements discussed and dissected into minutia by fans of the diamond sports, PFPs may very well be at the bottom of the list.

Yet those fundamentals came into play in Saturday night's 5-2 win against Arizona State in front of 1,785 at Farrington Stadium.

Starting pitcher Raegan Breedlove and No. 19 Oregon were staring down a bases-loaded, no outs dilemma in the bottom of the first.

That's when Breedlove buckled down and let her defense go to work. On the next batter, the first ball in play was a grounder to Allee Bunker at second who threw to catcher Terra McGowan for the force at home. The following batter hit a ground ball to Tehya Bird at third. A run scored on the play, but the Ducks recorded the second out at first.

Then it was time for PFPs. Breedlove snared a two-hop comebacker and threw to first to end the inning with no further damage.

"We work on PFP all the time in practice," said Breedlove. "I think getting out of a jam is something to kind of rely on your defense and my defense worked me through it really well and it went really smooth."

Preventing ASU from posting a crooked number in the first inning proved to be a big momentum swing.

"It was huge," said coach Melyssa Lombardi. "(ASU) could have opened it up and to get out of that jam with just one run was really big for us."

With the defense holding ASU at bay, Ariel Carlson delivered a two-out, pinch-hit double to score two runners in the fifth inning that proved to be the difference in the ball game.

How it Happened: After ASU (21-15, 5-9) scored in the bottom of the first, the Ducks (27-11, 7-7) answered by taking a 2-1 lead in the top of the second inning. McGowan led off with a double and Alyssa Daniell doubled down the right field line to drive McGowan home. KK Humphreys reached on an error at second, which allowed Daniell to go to third.

The Ducks then executed a double steal, with Humphreys breaking to second to draw the throw from the catcher and Daniell swiping home on the delayed steal.

Oregon turned two double plays in the game and Breedlove ended the fourth inning with another 1-3 ground out.

"There were a lot of double plays going on," said outfielder Hanna Delgado. "Reggie (Breedlove) with PFPs and Kedre (Luschar) with a big diving catch in the outfield. I think everybody just did their part."

Oregon got some insurance runs in the fifth inning thanks to Carlson. Bird got on board with a one-out single and one out later, Delgado smacked a double to right to put runners at second and third with two outs. Carlson pinch hit for Kai Luschar and laced a 2-1 pitch down the left field line to score both runners for a 4-1 lead.

"I feel like (Carlson) was on it the whole time," said Delgado, who was 2-for-3 with a walk and a run of Friday. "I just have all the confidence in the world in her. Anytime she's up I know she's going to get the job done and she did."

Breedlove came up big again the bottom of the fifth inning. After two quick outs, Marissa Schuld reached on an error in the outfield. That opened the door for a run-scoring triple by pinch-hitter Jasmine Hill, cutting the Ducks' lead to 4-2. After intentionally walking Yannira Acuna, ASU's leading hitter, Breedlove induced Jasmyn Rollin to fly out to right to end the inning.

The Ducks responded with a two-out run in the sixth to make it 5-2. Kedre Luschar singled into right before Humphreys lined a double into the left center field gap to score the runner all the way from first.

"I think we held the momentum the whole time," said Breedlove, who threw a career-high six inning to improve to 3-3 on the season. "Every time they scored, we kind of bounced back and had a comeback and scored. Our offense was on, our defense was on and it felt like we had the momentum the whole game."

Morgan Scott came on in relief of Breedlove in the bottom of the seventh and gave up a one-out walk before Hill hit into a 4-6-3 double play to end the game. It was Scott's team-leading fourth save of the season.

Noteworthy: Oregon's two double plays were its Pac-12 best 16^th and 17^th of the season … Humphreys' stolen base was her team-leading 11^th of the season … Kedre Luschar made a spectacular diving grab of a fly ball in right center to rob Sara Kinch of a base hit in the second inning … This is Oregon's first series win against Arizona State since 2018 ... This is Oregon's third winning streak of five or more games in 2023.

Quotable
Head Coach Melyssa Lombardi
"Love Ariel, how clutch she was off the bench. Love what Hanna Delgado did. I could go on and on. Love what they did at the plate and how our defense just continued to put pressure on them. What I love is that you see so many different people coming in and coming up big, being clutch for us."

On Deck: The series with ASU wraps up Sunday at 2 p.m. (Pac-12 Network).

- www.GoDucks.com -