The Seattle University softball team used the long ball to twice take the lead in game one against Oregon, but the Ducks came back to win the opener and used that momentum to complete the sweep, 10-7 and 9-0, Tuesday afternoon at Howe Field.
In the first game, Oregon struck in the bottom of the second when Ashley Kivett and Lindsey Chambers hit back-to-back home runs to give the Ducks a 2-0 lead. SeattleU responded in the top of the third, as Peggy Mathison (, ) walked and Katie Petersen (, ) and Katie Antich () both reached safely on errors, loading the bases. Jamie Foote () hit her fifth home run of the season, an opposite-field shot to left field that gave SeattleU a 4-2 advantage.
(10-17) pulled back into a tie as Monique Fuiava and Kelsey Chambers hit back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the third inning. The Ducks retook the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning when Blair Williamson walked, advanced to third on a single by Cortney Kivett, and scored when Kivett stole second base and Jessica Amador’s () throw went into the outfield. Kivett would score on an infield single by Sari-Jane Jenkins to give a 6-4 lead.
With one out in the top of the sixth, Foote doubled to left field and Lisa Hill (, ) reached on ’s third error of the game. Amador launched her second home run of the season to center field to put back in the lead, 7-6. The lead did not last long, as consecutive singles by Cortney Kivett, Jenkins, Neena Bryant, and Fuiava in the bottom of the inning allowed the Ducks to retake the lead, 8-7. added two more insurance runs on a double by Carlyn Re to bring a 10-7 advantage into the seventh inning.
Sam Skillingstad came on in relief of starter Mikayla Endicott, who gave up both SeattleU home runs, and earned the victory after pitching 1 2/3 innings and giving up only one hit and one walk. Kelsey Reynolds (, ) took the loss for , allowing 14 hits, two walks, and 10 runs during the afternoon.
The first three innings of the second game were dominated by the pitchers, although SeattleU threatened in the third as Mathison led off with a double and advanced to third with one out, but she was stranded on base. broke through in the fourth as Jenkins led off with a double and advanced to third on a single by Bryant. As Bryant stole second base, Jenkins was able to score on a fielding error. Fuiava drove in Bryant with a single and later scored on a single by Kelsey Chambers, who scored her own run on SeattleU’s second error of the inning.
After stranded two runners in the top of the fifth, Jenkins singled and scored on a two-run home run by Bryant. kept the pressure on, as Fuiava walked and Re singled to put two runners on with one out. Kelsey Chambers ended the game with her second home run of the day, a three-run shot that invoked the eight-run rule.
Brittany Rumfelt earned her first victory of the season, giving up two hits and a walk while striking out six SeattleU batters in five innings of work. Hannah Klein () suffered the loss for the Redhawks, allowing nine hits and a walk in 4 1/3 innings of work.
(8-11) stays in the state of , as it heads to Wednesday for a doubleheader against beginning at 1 p.m. The next home date for SeattleU is Monday, April 6, against in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. at Logan Field.