Sweet Send-Off For Howe Field
The Oregon Ducks Softball team looked to continue its strong run towards the playoffs, as they took on the Cal Bears in the team’s last home series of the season. This would also be the Lady Ducks last series played at historic Howe Field. The Ducks move to the new Jane stadium for the 2016 season. The team bid farewell to the stadium in dominating fashion, sweeping the Cal Bears and increasing the team’s win total over ranked opponents to 17-5.
The Ducks have been steelier in the final stretch of the regular season attaining the team’s 14th win in a row. In the series opener, the Lady Ducks would look to its star lefty pitcher, Cheridan Hawkins, for a big game. Hawkins would put together a strong performance with 14 strikeouts, which is her season high.
At the top of the fifth, Cal would get a pair of runs back to back. But, with a three run lead, Hawkins would have no problem closing the game out, securing a 5-2 win for the Ducks. Saturday’s game would be an offensive explosion for the Ducks, as the team run-ruled the Cal bears with a score of nine to zero.
Freshman Lauren Lindvall had a standout performance as she accounted for two homeruns in Saturday’s game. Lindvall crushed the first pitch she saw at the top of the second. This offensive performance would continue as Lindvall hit another first pitch homerun in the third. This domination the Ducks showed in game two would continue in game three as the team looked to make its last game at Howe Field a memorable one.
Cal would start off strong as Danielle Henderson hit a homerun to start off the first inning. But, the hot hitting of the Lady Ducks would continue from Saturday as the Ducks accounted for 19 hits and 17 runs, run-ruling the Cal Bears by the fifth inning. The entire Lady Duck team would have a stupendous day hitting as 12 different players recorded hits, and 11 players scored runs.
Senior, Janie Takeda made her own bit of history as the four runs she recorded Sunday would help pass and set the record for most runs by a Duck player in a career. The Ducks will take on Arizona in the final series of the season. The team looks to continue its streak of fantastic softball heading to the post season.
