Pac-10 Softball: Oregon Rallies to Defeat Rival Oregon State, 6-5

Oregon pitcher Melissa Rice improves to 21-9 on the year with the win.

Freshman Neena Bryant was 4-for-4 at Oregon State, with a home run and two doubles. Photo; goducks.com

CORVALLIS, Ore. - Oregon’s 6-5 win over No. 13 Oregon State on Wednesday at the OSU Softball Complex clinched the 2006-07 North West Dodge Civil War Cup for the Ducks for the first time since 2004.

The 16th-ranked Ducks improve to 39-11 overall and 4-8 in the Pac-10 Conference, while the Beavers drop to 34-16 and 6-6 in conference.

Oregon takes the season series, 2-1 and snaps its six-game losing streak in the Pac-10.

The Ducks were led by freshman Neena Bryant, who had a career day at the plate, hitting a perfect 4-for-4 with a home run, two doubles and a single.

Junior Joanna Gail and sophomore Sari-Jane Jenkins also had three hits apiece.

It wasn’t an easy day for Oregon, which battled back from a three-run deficit and produced 15 hits in a winning effort.

Sophomore pitcher Melissa Rice, loaded the bases in the seventh, but ended the inning when Mia Logfellow lined out to Suzie Barnes.

Rice improves to 21-9 on the year, pitching 21 complete games. The Colbert, Wash., native has made the last seven starts for Oregon.

In the first inning Oregon State’s Brianne McGowan helped her effort in the circle when she gave the Beavers an early 2-0 lead with a two-run homer over the left field wall.

But Oregon returned the favor hitting back-to-back home runs to lead off the second.

First it was Bryant hitting her ninth long-distance shot of the year on a 2-2 count over the wall in right center.

Following Bryant, Gail then torched her second home run of the season to left field, evening the score 2-2.

In the bottom of the second, Oregon State reclaimed then lead, 3-2, when Longfellow hit a one-out, bases-loaded RBI fielder’s choice.

In the third the Beavers added two runs when Stefanie Ewing and DeAnn Young strung together back-to-back doubles with two outs on the scoreboard.

With Young on second, Sherina Galvan’s infield single took a high hop along the first baseline past Oregon first baseman Kristi Leiter and Barnes, allowing Young to score from second.

Bryant and Gail again served as Oregon’s catalysts in the fourth.

Bryant led off the inning with her 10th double of the season off the right field wall and Gail reached base on a shallow single to left field.

With runners on the corners, Leiter snuck a single between Oregon State’s defense on the right side, to bring Bryant home and cut the lead to 5-3.

In the bottom of the fourth it looked as of the Beavers would add more runs to the scoreboard with one out and the bases loaded, but Oregon’s infield defense turned a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.

Bryant, who was a perfect 4-for-4 on the day, led off the sixth with a single and brought the Ducks within one run, 5-4, scoring on Courtney Shlee’s RBI single up the middle.

Barnes then produced the game-tying run, with a slow rolling infield RBI single that pinch runner Blair Williamson was able to tie the game on from second.

Sari-Jane Jenkins continued the inning, loading the bases for freshman Jenn Salling. The Ducks’ RBI leader added to her total with No. 61, and gave Oregon a 6-5 lead.

In the bottom of the sixth Rice battled with McGowan at the plate and runners on first and second, but Rice’s defense helped her out of the jam as turning its second 6-4-3 double play.

McGowan also took the loss for the Beavers, falling to 20-9 on the year.

The Ducks remain on the road traveling to UCLA on Fri., for a 1:00 PM start. Oregon then will move on to finish it series with Washington in Seattle. A 2:00 PM first pitch is scheduled for Sat., followed by a 1:00 PM start time for Sun.

The Ducks will not return to Howe until a 4:00 PM game scheduled for Fri., May 4th against Arizona.

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