Softball's Tournament Run Cut Short By Heavy Georgia Rains
COLUMBUS, Ga. ? All Sunday games at the 2005 NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Ga., have been cancelled due to heavy rains. The 18th-ranked University of Oregon softball team was to have played South Carolina Sunday at 8 a.m. PST in the silver medal bracket.
The Ducks finish the tournament 2-2, defeating Florida Atlantic 5-0 and San Diego State 3-1. Oregon dropped both games on opening day ? a 4-1 loss to Creighton and a 3-0 loss to No. 7 Alabama.
Oregon freshman Lovena Chaput (Tualatin) had an impressive showing, finishing the four games 5-for-11 (.455) with three doubles, a home run, three RBI and a 1.000 slugging percentage. Chaput also drew two walks and had 11 total bases. Sophomore Kristi Leiter also finished the tournament 5-for-11 with a run scored and a double.
Defensively, Oregon pitchers posted a 0.72 ERA led by junior Amy Harris (Eugene) and freshman Alicia Cook (Elmira). Harris went the distance in a nine-inning 5-0 win over Florida Atlantic and had 10 strikeouts in 11 and two thirds innings pitched. Cook threw a two-hitter in a 3-1 win over San Diego State and had 14 strikeouts in two appearances.
The Ducks’ tournament swing continues next weekend at the UNLV Rebel Classic in Las Vegas, Nev. Oregon opens the tournament vs. Illinois-Chicago Thursday at 3 p.m.
