Pac-10 Softball: No.12 Washington Upends No. 10 Oregon, 7-2

Oregon Freshman Jenn Salling connected on her 10th home run of the season.

Jenn Salling hit the 10th home run of her career in the seventh. Photo: goducks.com

EUGENE - After a 15-strikeout performance in 12th-ranked Washington’s 7-2 win over 10th-ranked Oregon on Friday afternoon at Howe Field, Huskies’ sophomore right-hander Danielle Lawrie is undefeated in three career starts against the Ducks.

Pitching her 16th complete game of the year, Lawrie held Oregon to two runs on six hits, while striking out 15 in the process.

The Ducks are now 37-6 on the season and 3-3 in the Pac-10 Conference. Washington, currently on a three-game winning streak, improves to 26-10 and 3-3 in the Pac-10.

Oregon squandered scoring opportunities with the bases loaded in both the third and sixth innings, while Washington held off any Ducks’ comeback with a three-run effort in the top of the seventh.

Junior right-hander Alicia Cook surrendered three consecutive singles in the top of the seventh before Washington’s Marnie Koizol produced a bases-clearing three-run double off the wall in left field.

Melissa Rice came on in relief for Cook and gave up a single and two walks before two defensive plays from Barnes got the Ducks out of the inning trailing 7-1.

Freshman Jenn Salling connected on her 10th home run of the season in the bottom of seventh, but that was all Oregon could muster at the plate. Salling has now recorded at least one RBI in 12 straight games.

Washington scored first when Lawrie helped her efforts in the sixth spot of the order, with a two-run homer off Cook that sailed over the fence and stayed just inside the left field foul pole.

Oregon had its opportunity to put runs on the scoreboard in the third when after retiring the first two batters of the inning, Lawrie surrendered back-to-back singles to Joanna Gail and Lovena Chaput. With two outs and two runners on, Lawrie then walked Amie Morris, loading the bases for Suzie Barnes. Lawrie escaped the damage by striking out Barnes on a full count.

The Ducks again loaded the bases in the sixth when Ann Marie Topps led off the inning with a single and advanced into scoring position when Huskies’ centerfielder Alyson McWherter couldn’t field the hit cleanly.

Neena Bryant kept things going on a single, and with Topps at third, Joanna Gail’s RBI single into shallow left scored Topps for Oregon’s first run.

Cook falls to 18-2 on the year after pitching 6.1 innings and allowing seven earned runs on 10 hits.

Oregon returns to Howe Field tomorrow for a 1:00 PM game with No. 14 UCLA

Adding comments to these stories has been disabled. View the current sports stories Salem-News Sports