Pair Of Top-10 Teams Visit No. 25 Softball
RECAPPING LAST WEEK VS. OREGON ST., ARIZONA ST., ARIZONA, SANTA CLARA
Oregon’s long week began last Wednesday with a trip to Corvallis to face a hot Oregon State team. The Ducks took the early lead, going ahead 1-0 on an RBI double by freshman Lovena Chaput. The Beavers responded with back to back home runs in the fifth inning and Beaver pitcher Brianne McGowan held the Ducks to just one hit to secure the 2-1 victory. Pitcher Amy Harris gave up just three hits, walked none and had six strikeouts in the loss. Over the weekend, the Ducks traveled to the desert to face Arizona State and Arizona. On Friday, Oregon defeated the Sun Devils 1-0 in Tempe for the first time since 2002. Senior second baseman Erin Goodell hit an RBI in the second inning and the Ducks turned three double plays to hold on for the victory. ASU committed two errors while Harris struck out four for the victory. Oregon dropped both games to Arizona by a score of 8-1 before sweeping a doubleheader vs. Santa Clara on Monday. In the six games, junior shortstop Breanne Sabol was 5-for-14 (.357) with four RBI, three runs scored and a double while Chaput was 5-for-16 (.312) with two doubles, two RBI and two runs scored.
SCOUTING THE COMPETITION
California: Cal is one of just three programs in the country (No. 2 Arizona, No. 5 Oklahoma) to have three players named as finalists on the 2005 Collgegiate Player of the Year list. Pitcher Kelly Anderson (19-1), third baseman Vicky Galindo (.398 avg., 33 R) and left fielder Lindsey James (.478 avg., 34 R, 17 RBI) are the three players on the list and are a big reason behind the Bears’ success this season. Cal has lost just two Pac-10 games (Arizona, UCLA) and is currently 6-1 in away games. Anderson boasts a 0.89 ERA and has 124 strikeouts in 134.1 innings pitched and is complemented by Kristina Thorson (15-4, 1.11 ERA, 142 SO). Catcher Haley Woods has a team-high 47 RBI behind 12 home runs.
Stanford: The Cardinal have won three straight after a sweep of Washington (6-3; 4-3) last weekend. Stanford opened the Pac-10 season 1-2 falling to Arizona and Arizona State, but defeating the Sun Devils to avoid an 0-3 start. Shortstop Lauren Lappin (.383 avg., 36 R, 17 RBI) is one of the finalists for the 2005 Collegiate Player of the Year award, but Leah Nelson leads the Cardinal offense, hitting .402 with 23 RBI, 23 runs scored and four home runs. Pitcher Becky McCullough is 10-1 with a 1.63 ERA and 66 strikeouts while fellow pitcher Laura Severson is 12-4 with a 1.91 ERA and 69 strikeouts.
THE GREEK CONNECTION
Oregon freshman Joanna Gail (3B), who has missed all but two games this season due to an elbow injury, played on the 2004 Greek Olympic team with Cal left fielder Lindsey James.
THE SERIES VS. CALIFORNIA: The Bears are one of just two teams in the Pac-10 that Oregon has yet to win the series from under Coach Arendsen. Cal owns the series record, 60-29 and has won 14 of the last 18 meetings. Oregon won in Berkeley last season, 4-0, but dropped both games at home. Oregon’s last win over the Bears at Howe Field came in 2003 when the Ducks won 9-1.
THE SERIES VS. STANFORD: Under Coach Arendsen, the Ducks have won the season series in two consecutive seasons. Prior to that, the last time Oregon won the season series was in 2000 and the Ducks currently lead the over series, 25-17. Last season, Oregon split at Stanford and won 1-0 at Howe Field behind pitcher Ani Nyhus and an RBI double by Jenn Poore.
MILESTONE
With a 3-1 victory over then-No. 3 UCLA on April 2nd, Oregon head coach Kathy Arendsen secured her 100th victory at Oregon and the Ducks are 104-53 in her tenure. Arendsen is 24 wins shy of 500 career victories.
WHERE OREGON RANKS IN THE CONFERENCE
The Ducks’ 50 doubles leads the conference...Oregon is third in triples (7), first in sacrifice bunts (50) and tied for fourth in stolen bases (53)...The Ducks lead the conference in double plays (14) and Breanne Sabol’s 14 steals is tied for fourth in the league.
SECURING THE SERIES
Under the guidance of Coach Arendsen, Oregon has now won the season series in at least one season from every Pac-10 school with the exception of California and Arizona. Oregon has won the series vs. Oregon State, Washington and Stanford in back-to-back seasons (2003, 2004).
GOODELL EMERGES
Senior second baseman Erin Goodell is hitting .231 in conference play (3rd on the team) and is hitting .308 in Oregon’s last five games. She hit her first career triple vs. Santa Clara on Apr. 11. Goodell has 12 hits this season and every one has accounted for an RBI as she has matched her RBI total (12) from all of last season.
SABOL SACRIFICES, SCORES
Shortstop Breanne Sabol leads the conference in sacrifice bunts (13) and she also has 14 RBI...Sabol has scored at least one run in four of Oregon’s last seven games and had four RBI in the Ducks’ last two games. In Oregon’s 25 wins this season, Sabol is hitting .452 and all 14 of her RBI have come in games that the Ducks have won. She is 13-for-13 in stolen base attempts when Oregon is victorious.
HARRIS CLOSING IN
Pitcher Amy Harris is third all-time with 392 career strikeouts... She needs 53 more strikeouts to surpass Connie McMurren (445) for second all-time and needs 82 to break the all-team career record held by Rachelle Taylor (474).
