Ducks Finish With Win

Saving one of her best outings for Senior Day, pitcher Alicia Cook shut out the Washington Huskies 3-0 on Saturday to conclude the regular season for the Ducks.

Starting for the third start day for the first time this season, Cook was effective with her change up and was able to keep the Washington batters off balance nearly from the start.

"I couldn't have asked for a better final home game," Cook said. "We were so pumped up this morning, and really ready to pull together. It was exciting as the defense kept making spectacular play after spectacular play. I will remember this game for a long time, especially since it was in front of so many of our family, friends and fans."

Oregon opened the scoring in the first inning when centerfielder Neena Bryant's base hit to right field scored Sari-Jane Jenkins from second base.

Though that would have been enough for Cook on this day, Oregon tacked on another run in each the third and fourth innings to send the seniors off with a victory that was key in earning the Ducks a post season invitation, the fourth in head coach Kathy Arendsen's five years at the helm.

Until Saturday there had not been much to celebrate in Oregon's final home stand. UCLA escaped with a 3-1 win on Thursday, then the Huskies swept a double header from the Ducks on Friday afternoon, 5-2 and 7-1.

But when Cook took the circle for Senior Day on Saturday, she was certain they were going to win.

Ducks Claim Series Finale

Alicia Cook held California to two hits and a single sixth inning run in leading the Ducks to a 4-1 win at Howe Field Saturday over the 22nd ranked Bears. Hit in the eye by a batted ball earlier in the week, Cook was not expected to be available for the weekend set against the Bay Area schools.

After Oregon's defense betrayed pitcher Melissa Rice in Friday's series opener and California spanked the Ducks 6-1 on Saturday, it was a welcome chore to hand the ball to the senior ace.

Rice held Stanford scoreless for four innings before the defense unraveled to allow an unearned run in the fifth and sixth innings. Mustering only five hits against Stanford's ace, Missy Penna, Oregon's offense never threatened so when the Cardinal tacked on four more runs in the seventh it was mostly for show.

Against California on Saturday, Freshman Brittany Rumfelt was touched for three runs in the first inning as the Bears cruised to a 6-1 victory.

Loveena Chaput's double in the sixth inning drove in Sari-Jane Jenkins for Oregon's only run.

On Sunday, the Ducks scored four runs on five hits in the third inning. Three consecutive singles loaded the bases, then Sari-Jane Jenkins drove in the first with a fielder's choice. Cortney Kivett plated another run with a single to right and with two outs Loveena Chaput pushed Oregon's last two runners across the plate with a double.

With a six run lead, Cook mixed the speed of her pitches well and used her curve to cruise through the Bear lineup. The complete game victory improved her season record to 15-10.

White Team Dominates Spring Game 36-3
Rick Morgan

Justin Roper piloted his white unit to a 36-3 victory over the green shirts in Saturday's spring game. More than 14,000 spectators filled the center sections of both sidelines for the final scrimmage of spring camp.

Mostly inconsistent throughout the spring and with likely #1 quarterback Nate Costa limited to the role of an assistant quarterback coach, Roper took quick advantage of the spring camp's last opportunity to impress. On his first snap from scrimmage he connected with Ed Dickson for a 67-yard completion to the Green eight yard line and then on his second, he bolted for a touchdown with an option keeper off left tackle.

Roper finished the day three for seven throwing, good for 82 yards and one touchdown. Also assigned to the white team was Cody Kempt who added 30 yards and a score on his seven for ten, although he suffered the only interception for the side.

Running back LaGarrette Blount led the White with 66 yards on five carries and Remene Alston added 56 more yards with his five.

Quarterbacks Roper, Kempt and Cade Cooper tacked on a combined 102 ground yards, enabling the white team to rack up 320 total yards in what was basically 2 ½ quarters of play as the scrimmage employed a running clock for both the third and fourth quarters.

For the Green team, freshman quarterback Chris Harper demonstrated a nifty ability to break into the open field for nice yardage, compiling 67 yards on 14 carries to go along with 73 passing yards with two completions in nine attempts. Malachi Lewis' one handed grab for 53 of those yards gave the Green team their best opportunity for a touchdown, but the first half ended when Kenny Rowe stuffed Harper's run attempt at the one-yard line.

Oregon Relays

The inaugural Oregon Relays saved the best for last as the two day event concluded with a stirring sub-four minute mile performance by Oregon sophomore Andrew Wheating directly on the heels of a season best time by the men's 4X400 relay team.

Wheating had asked Director of Track Operations Vin Lanana to enter him in a mile race during the indoor season and Lanana provisionally agreed, if Wheating could improve his PR in his main event, the 800. After Wheating had bested the mark, Lanana deferred entering the Wheating, citing concern of fatigue that early in the year and promised to set up a mile race during the outdoor season.

When the event was added to the Oregon Relays and attracted an elite group of runners from the Oregon Elite Track Club and Galen Rupp who is redshirting from track competition this spring to concentrate on the upcoming Olympic Trials, Wheating had his stage set.

Tossing aside the race plan that had him holding second place until the last 150 meters, Wheating found himself behind a block of four runners - including Rupp - as he entered the final 300 meters of the race. Making his move halfway down the eastern straight stretch, he powered through the Bowerman Curve and held the lead to the finish, breaking the tape in 3:58.16, the 11^th fasted time in school history.

"It hasn't really sunk it yet," said Wheating. "I'll probably be at home later when I really realize, I ran 3:58 today."

Defense Dominates Second Scrimmage
Rick Morgan

"They probably had a tough day at the office," said defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti of his counterparts on the other sideline. And they did, hampered by 20 tackles for losses at the hands of Aliotti's group.

Pressured relentlessly throughout the scrimmage, the offense was limited to seven completions for 45 yards in approximately 20 possessions. With most of the running plays blown up in the backfield by the green shirts - or  mishandled snaps from center - the offense was also limited to less than 90 yards rushing. Or an average of less than 4.5 yards per possession.

"I didn't see anything I liked, to be honest with you," said offensive coordinator Chip Kelly. "The only good this is that it is April and not August . I'll spend the weekend trying to figure out how to fix it."

Linebacker Spencer Paysinger led the defense with two and a half tackles for loss. Tonio Celoto, Brandon Hanna and Matt Simms each registered a quarterback sack. The unit also forced two turnovers, a fumble recovery by Defensive End Nick Reed and an interception by linebacker Clay Matthews.

The lone bright spot for the offense was junior quarterback Cade Cooper's 5-8 throwing good for 29 yards along with 12 yards rushing on nine carries. Running back LaGarrette Blount was a focus of attention for the defense who held the junior transfer to 49 yards on 11 carries although he did score the only touchdown of the scrimmage.

Ducks End Home Season With Split

Oregon's home lacrosse season ended Sunday with a convincing 20-3 triumph over St. Mary's. For eight Oregon seniors - the first class of players recruited to establish the program by head coach Jen Larson, it wias a bittersweet exit to their careers. One day earlier a disapointing 12-8 defeat that left Larson frustrated. Citing a lack of focus against the undefeated Bears, Larsen allowed that Sunday's easy victory was "just what we needed" to send the eight graduates off in style.

California jumped to a 7-3 halftime lead and though the Ducks would score three unanswered goals to open the second half, the Golden Bears responded with four straight goals of their own to ice away the victory.

In Sunday's finale it was Oregon who was the aggressor. Jen May, Lindsay Killian and Jana Bradley each scored hat tricks for the Ducks. Juniors Ilsa van den Berg and Casey Rector added two goals apiece. Oregon also forced 20 turnovers and out shot the Gaels 45-13.

The 19th ranked Ducks improved to 10-5 on the year and 2-3 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation and will finish their season on the road. The Ducks play at Vermont on Friday, and will play at New Hampshire on Sunday before concluding the 2008 campaign at the MPSF tournament in Berkeley starting April 30th.

Ducks Defense Shines
Rick Morgan

Ducks Host #1 ASU, Defending Champs Arizona

Over the past weekend Oregon's softball team hosted the #1 ranked Arizona State Sun Devils and the 8^th ranked and two-time defending national champion Arizona Wildcats. In the face of that daunting challenge, Kathy Arendsens's ladies gave a solid account of themselves.

A seventh inning home run by All-American Kaitlin Cochran allowed the Sun Devils to escape with a 3-2 in Friday's opening game.

Sophomore Blair Williamson went 2 for 3 and sparked a two run fifth inning for the Ducks to erase an early 2-0 deficit. Six runners left on base hurt the Oregon cause and allowed Cochran's solo blast in the top of the seventh to be the game winning hit.

On Saturday the 8^th ranked Wildcats scored three runs in the opening frame and added a run each in the fourth and fifth innings.

Oregon could manage only one hit against Arizona's All- America pitcher Taryne Mowatt, who struck out 12 of the Oregon hitters she faced.

On Sunday, the Ducks turned the tide, winning their first conference game of the season 3-2 over the Wildcats on the shoulders of centerfielder Neena Bryant. Turning on the first pitch she saw for a three run home run the team's third batter in the line-up gave the Ducks a 3-1 lead.

Senior Alicia Cook struck out a season high 8 Wildcats and survived some seventh inning dramatics before coming away with the victory. A Wildcat single after Cook struck out the lead off batter was followed by a 20-minuite rain delay. After the tarp was removed and play resumed another Arizona single put runners on first and second. Cook coaxed the next batter into a fly-out to left field but then walked the following hitter to load the bases.

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