2008 Woodie Awards
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Stanford, Cal ruin Ducks' travel plans
Oregon falls to Cal 3-2 and Stanford 1-0 and 2-1 in weekend series
by Jeffrey Dransfeldt | Senior Sports Reporter
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They had come off a win over then-No. 8 Arizona and started to build some momentum. Oregon had an opportunity with a game against California and two versus Stanford to move up the Pacific-10 Conference standings.
"I would like to see two wins on this (road trip)," Arendsen said last Wednesday. "If we got three, I'd be thrilled. If we got one, I'd be disappointed. If we got zero, I'd be devastated.
"I believe that we match up well with these teams. I think we're playing well and we're going to go out there and get some wins."
Three games later, Oregon showed they can compete with Northern California's top softball programs.
Wins, however, proved elusive.
The Ducks completed its two-game set Sunday with Stanford with its second consecutive loss inside Smith Family Stadium and third straight defeat overall.
Oregon's 2-1 defeat left the Ducks traveling home with a 26-19 overall record and just 1-8 in the Pac-10.
The Ducks stay in-state this weekend with a trip Wednesday to Portland for a doubleheader with Portland State. On Friday and Saturday, games with Oregon State will be held in Corvallis.
Cardinal pitcher Missy Penna (26-6) threw her second straight complete game against the Ducks and had 12 strikeouts, including seven of the first nine batters.
Outfielder Sari-Jane Jenkins reached base on all three plate appearances for Oregon and helped score the Ducks' only run. She earned a walk and, after Blair Williamson bunted her to second, Neena Bryant scored Jenkins on a RBI single up the middle.
Oregon's first game with the Cardinal offered a pitching duel between the Ducks' Brittany Rumfelt and Stanford's Penna in a 1-0 win for the home team.
Rumfelt (4-1) pitched a complete game - her first in the Pac-10 - in giving up just three hits, while striking out one and walking three. Penna allowed just two hits to go with five strikeouts.
Stanford put across its only run with two outs in the first inning.
Melisa Koutz, following a walk and a single, scored the go-ahead run from second base on a bouncer that second baseman Cortney Kivett couldn't glove. The Cardinal loaded the bases two batters later, only to see the inning end on a shoestring catch by Kivett in the same location as before.
The Ducks opened the trip with a visit to Berkeley and a meeting with No. 22 Cal. Oregon made a comeback from a 2-1 deficit after the first inning to tie it at two in the fourth but ultimately fell, 3-2, in 11 innings.
Cal scored two runs in the bottom of the inning after an errant throw by Kivett to first base with the bases loaded.
Pitcher Alicia Cook (11-9) earned the start and in eight innings had four strikeouts and three walks. She gave up eight hits with both runs unearned. Melissa Rice (11-9) came in for the final 2 1/3 innings and earned the loss with the earned run allowed in the 11th inning.
jdransfeldt@dailyemerald.com
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