EUGENE, Ore. – Oregon pitcher Cheridan Hawkins threw a no-hitter and in an 8-0 mercy-rule win over Arizona in five innings Saturday.
Hawkins struck out 11 over five innings, including seven of the first eight batters she faced. The Oregon freshman allowed a walk in the first and two hit batsmen in the fourth but was perfect otherwise. She improved to 14-3 on the year.
The Ducks (35-6, 12-2 Pac-12) scored eight runs on 10 hits against the Wildcats (27-16, 4-7 Pac-12). Nancy Bowling (4-5) allowed four runs on five hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Shelby Babcock entered in the fourth inning and allowed four runs, three earned, on four hits with a walk and a strike in an inning pitched.
A leadoff hit-by-pitch followed by a Janie Takeda single put two on and nobody out for Oregon in the third. A sacrifice bunt and walk loaded the bases with one out for Kailee Cuico. Bowling brushed Cuico’s jersey with a pitch to drive in a run. An Alexa Peterson single and a wild pitch would plate two more as Oregon took a 3-0 lead after three.
The Ducks added a run in the fourth inning when they began the frame with three hits, punctuated by Janie Takeda’s RBI double to chase Bowling. Babcock entered with two runners in scoring position and nobody out and did not allow a run.
Janelle Lindvall homered, a two-run shot to right field, to give Oregon a 6-0 lead in the fifth. Takeda singled home a run to make it 7-0 before Hannah Melick’s RBI fielder’s choice ended the game.
