No. 20 Oregon secured a Senior Day win and put the bow on a series win over Oregon State with an 8-3 victory on Sunday, April 21.
It was another day that started with honoring injured teammate Hanna Delgado, whose Oregon career was cut short with a scary neck injury during the team’s road trip to Arizona earlier this month. Delgado got to make the final start of her college career on her senior day — neck brace and all — taking to centerfield as a starter.
“I just think about going out on the field and what I witnessed,” head coach Melissa Lombardi said about the ceremonial start. “If someone had told me that (she’d be in uniform today) in that instant ... (I) wouldn’t have expected it. But that’s just Hanna. She’s so locked in and focused.”
No. 20 Oregon softball takes series opener from rival Oregon State 11-3 Starting pitcher Raegan Breedlove called time before delivering her first pitch and the substitution was made to bring Delgado out and Kai Luschar in. As Delgado exited the game, she received a standing ovation from the crowd at Jane Sanders Stadium.
Ariel Carlson led the way for the Ducks, going 3-4 with five RBIs. All of Carlson’s hits went for extra bases, including a pair of two-run blasts in the first and second innings.
“We laughed in the summertime (about) our middle cage,” Lombardi said, sharing a story about Carlson’s work ethic. “She hits every single day. At the plate, she’ll leave her shoes, her bat, her batting gloves and she’ll walk away ... She leaves it there because she’ll be back the next day ... (Her) teammates started leaving their things right next to hers — it just tells you the impact she’s had on our team.”
All of Carlson’s RBIs came driving herself or Kai Luschar, hitting leadoff in front of her. Luschar herself recorded four singles in four at-bats as she and Carlson made up seven of Oregon’s 13 hits. The other six all came from seniors, with Vallery Wong, Emma Kauf and Alyssa Daniell all recording two apiece. Daniell’s home run in the third inning marked the third of the game for the Ducks.
A pair of seniors were the bookends on the mound, with Raegan Breedlove making the start and Morgan Scott being called upon to face the final Oregon State batter of the day. Scott spun 3.2 innings, letting up four hits and three earned runs while walking a pair.
“I love how (Breedlove) started off the game for us,” Lombardi said. “She did everything we needed her to do. I knew today was probably going to take more than one (arm). Usually on Sunday’s that just happens, that’s part of a three game series. For (Breedlove) to set the tone ... I loved it.”
Scott needed just one pitch to get her out, forcing Oregon State’s Kailea Higa.
Scott’s entrance into the game marked the ninth and final senior on the Oregon roster to appear in the game. Tehya Bird and KK Humphreys also joined the aforementioned group of Scott, Breedlove, Delgado, Carlson, Kauf, Wong and Daniell to appear in the contest.
“I think that’s about as senior day-ish as it could be,” Lombardi said. “To see them all step up and lead the charge was important for us to get the series. To watch our elders be the ones to get it done was awesome today.”
Sandwiched between the two seniors was the redshirt sophomore Elise Sokolsky, who had the best outing of the trio. Sokolsky threw three innings of shutout ball, despite letting up three hits and racked up the only four strikeouts the Oregon staff recorded. Of her 34 pitches thrown, 25 went for strikes as she mowed through the Oregon State lineup.
“(Sokolsky) wanted to get it done and she wanted to get it done for her seniors,” Lombardi said. “She was ready to get after it.”
Oregon’s win moves the Ducks to 26-16 on the season and 12-8 in the Pac-12, good for fourth place in the conference. The Ducks will have one final home game against Northern Colorado before heading out to Stanford for their final conference series. First pitch against Northern Colorado is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Sunday, April 28, at Jane Sanders Stadium.
Most Popular
Comments / 0