DANIELLE HICKEY/Oregon Daily Emerald Senior catcher Mackenzie Vandergeest hits a foul ball during yesterday's 1-0 extra innings loss to Oregon. The No. 13 Ducks upset the Wildcats, giving Arizona its second loss of the season.

Top-ranked softball falls in extra innings

The No. 1 UA softball team suffered its first Pac-10 loss of the season and its second loss overall 1-0 against Oregon yesterday in Eugene.

With the game scoreless after seven innings, junior designated player Crystal Farley led off the eighth inning with a single for the Wildcats (45-2, 9-1 Pacific 10 Conference), but Oregon ace Ani Nyhus retired the next three batters.

UA sophomore pitcher Alicia Hollowell struck out 11 Ducks during the game, giving up five hits and walking three. But in the bottom of the eighth, Oregon (34-12, 8-4) third baseman Ashley Richards hit a home run - her only hit of the day - to win it.

The Wildcats' other loss also came against a Pac-10 opponent, Washington, but did not count toward conference play.

Wildcat acting head coach Larry Ray said the team did not make the proper adjustments it needed to make on offense.

"Those are things we were able to get away with before, but we ran out of innings," he said. "We can't hope things are going to happen; we have to make them happen.

"We have to go into each game with a feeling of urgency, and I don't know if we did that today."

Though Hollowell (32-1) lost her first game of the season, she broke the UA single-season strikeout record yesterday, bringing her season total to 400. Hollowell broke her own record of 394, set last season.

In the first game against the Ducks on Saturday, the Wildcats had a five-run fifth inning to win 6-1.

Senior catcher Mackenzie Vandergeest and senior utility player Wendy Allen had two RBIs each to lead the way offensively for the Wildcats. One of those RBIs was Allen's solo shot in the first, her seventh home run of the year. Allen recorded her 64th and 65th RBIs, a team high.

"Wendy is kind of in the zone. I think she is probably one of the most dangerous hitters in the country," Ray said.

After Allen's homer put the Wildcats up 1-0, the Ducks answered back in their half of the inning with a home run by Jenn Poore to even the score.

With two outs in the fifth, Farley and senior second baseman Samantha Quintero hit singles, and freshman center fielder Caitlin Lowe drew a walk to load the bases. Sophomore left fielder Autumn Champion got Quintero home with a bunt single to break the 1-1 tie.

Farley scored on a bases-loaded walk to Allen, and Vandergeest singled and moved to third on a throwing error by left fielder Dani Baird, clearing the bases to make it 6-1 Arizona.

On Friday in Corvallis, Ore., the Wildcats mercy-ruled Oregon State 9-1 in five innings. Hollowell and Allen combined to throw the Wildcats' fourth no-hitter this season.

The Wildcats scored at least one run in every inning but the third. They got off on the right foot when Allen hit a double to center field in the first inning, scoring Lowe and Champion to take a 2-0 lead.

In the second, Quintero and junior right fielder Allyson Von Liechtenstein drew consecutive walks. A bunt single moved the runners, and a throwing error by third baseman Sherina Galvan scored Von Liechtenstein and moved Quintero to third.

Lowe followed with a bunt single to score Quintero, and Allen came through with a double, scoring Farley to give the Wildcats a five-run lead. It was Allen's third RBI of the game.

The Beavers' (36-16, 2-8) only run came in the bottom of the second when Hollowell walked two batters and hit another to load the bases. She then threw a wild pitch, scoring designated player Brianne McGowan.

Hollowell struck out seven and walked five in four innings of work.

In the fourth inning, Quintero scored via a throwing error, Farley scored on a bases-loaded walk to Vandergeest and Lowe was plated on a sacrifice fly by freshman shortstop Kristie Fox, giving the Wildcats an 8-1 advantage.

The Wildcats got the run they needed to end the game early in the fifth when Lowe doubled to right field for her second RBI of the day, scoring Farley from second.