BERKELEY – No. 2 Oregon used five home runs to bombard No. 18 Cal, winning game No. 2 9-0 in five innings to take the series. Cal is now 35-15 for the season and 7-13 in conference action.
Senior Britt Vonk had another two-hit day against the Ducks, going 2-for-3. Senior Danielle Henderson and sophomore Bailey O’Mara also logged hits off the Ducks.
Jenna Lilley started a two-out rally by the Ducks with a base hit before Hailey Decker got ahold of a ball and sent it to the batting cages in right field for Oregon’s first two runs in the bottom of the first. Oregon added two more hits to the board before the Cal defense finally shut the Ducks down with the third out.
Lauren Lindvall added a solo homer in the bottom of the second, and Danica Mercado singled before Nikki Udria sent a third ball over the fence to push Oregon’s lead to 5-0. A single and two walks loaded the bases for the Ducks before sophomore pitcher Katie Sutherland-Finch got the Bears out of the jam with a swinging strikeout to Koral Costa.
Lindvall turned another first pitch into a home run in her next at bat, leading off the bottom off the third to up Oregon’s score to 6-0 and prompting a pitching change as freshman Kristin Cullen replaced Sutherland-Finch in the circle for the Bears.
Cal continued fighting in the top of the fourth, loading the bases with a pair of walks and a hit by pitch. O'Mara blasted a line drive that was heading toward the outfield before hitting freshman Taurie Pogue on the base paths. Though the Bears kept the bases loaded, relief pitcher Karissa Hovinga helped her team out with a strikeout.
Oregon added the last two runs it needed plus an insurance run in the bottom of the fourth. After Janelle Lindvall drew a leadoff walk, Geri Ann Glasco hit Oregon's fifth bomb of the day to reach the 8-0 mark. Oregon's ninth run came as pinch hitter Gwen Svekis doubled then scored on an RBI single from Lauren Lindvall.
Sutherland-Finch (15-10) suffered the loss, allowing nine hits and six earned runs plus two walks while striking out in 2.0 innings. Cullen allowed five hits, three runs and a walk, fanning one in 2.0 innings.
ON DECK
The series wraps up on Sunday at noon live on the Pac-12 Networks.
