Oregon Softball: Freshman Pitcher Cheridan Hawkins Pitches No Hitter vs #17 Arizona

For the first time in two years an Oregon pitcher has thrown a no hitter. (Jessica Moore pitched a non conference no hitter in a 2011 game victory vs Weber State). It was the first Pac 12 No hitter for a Duck since 2006.

Cheridan Hawkins

Geoff Thurner/GoDucks.com

pitcher at the U of O has pitched a No Hitter. Cheridan Hawkins accomplished the feat in five innings of work on Saturday afternoon at Howe Field winning 8-0 over Arizona.

Press Release from the U of O:

EUGENE – With Saturday’s five-inning, 8-0 victory, the No. 6 University of Oregon softball team (35-6, 12-2) guaranteed itself of taking its third straight series from No. 17 Arizona (27-16, 4-7).In the teams’ 100th all-time meeting, the Ducks posted their largest margin of victory vs. the eight-time national champions, and bettered their recent six- and five-run victories in ’11 (12-6) and ’12 (12-7).Leading the way, freshman Cheridan Hawkins (14-3) pitched Oregon’s first no-hitter since a seven-inning, 6-1 win by teammate Jessica Moore vs. Weber State in 2011.The three-time Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week Hawkins struck out 11, walked one, and hit two batters, while UA’s other four outs came via fly balls.”I hadn’t looked at the scoreboard all game, so I didn’t know it until we scored the last run and my teammates asked (if I knew I had a no-hitter),” Anderson said. “The offense had 10 hits so that gave me a lot of confidence. I just tried to stayed in control and keep my composure.”

Her first seven outs of the game came via strikeouts to help her end with UO’s 18th-best ‘K’ total ever.Saturday also marked her fifth double-digit strikeout total of the year behind her 15 vs. Boston College (6 innings), 13 against New Mexico (6.1 ip) and 10 vs. Louisiana-Monroe (6.0 ip) and then-No. 4 California (6.0 ip).The Anderson, Calif,. native had already logged three starts this season with only one hit allowed in six innings or more.Leading the Ducks at the plate, sophomore center fielder Janie Takeda (3-for-4) tied her season high in hits with her team-leading 22nd multi-hit game of the season.The returning All-Pac-12 Freshman Team choice also hit her eighth double of the season, and knocked in her second RBI of the game with a seventh-inning single.

“I didn’t have a great day yesterday,” Takeda said, “so the coaches told me to relax and try to slow things down in the box. Watching Cheridan gave us so much confidence. Once we started getting runners on, hitting became contagious, so we were glad we could do our part, too.”

Junior designated player Alexa Peterson (2-for-3, RBI) added her 12th multi-hit contest of the slate, and four other Ducks hit safely once.

“Today was a complete win,” Oregon head coach Mike White said. “Cheridan was amazing, and kept their hitters guessing. She challenged them – you’re not going to get a no-hitter by pitching around people. The defense was also great, and Danica (Mercado) made a diving catch in left field to preserve the no-hitter (to open the fourth inning). Our offense really came together, and continually put runners on.”

Arizona starter Nancy Bowling (4-5) pitched the first three innings, struck out three, walked three, allowed five hits, and all four of her runs allowed were earned.

UO touched her for the first three runs in the third inning after a Mercado hit by pitch, Takeda single, and walk to senior second baseman Kaylan Howard loaded the bases.

Junior first baseman Kailee Cuico followed with an RBI walk, and after a Peterson RBI single, another run scored on a wild pitch.

In the fourth inning, the first three batters reached off Babcock on sophomore third baseman Jamie Rae Sullivan’s first double of the campaign, a Mercado single and Takeda RBI double.Shelby Babcock relieved her, and among the 10 batters she faced, struck out one, walked one, gave up four hits, and three of her four runs allowed were earned.UO’s final runs in the fifth came on a two-run homer by freshman catcher Janelle Lindvall (her ninth of the season), a RBI single by Takeda, and game-ending RBI fielder’s choice by sophomore pinch-hitter Hannah Melick.At the plate for Arizona, Kelsey Rodriguez reached on a first-inning walk, and Chelsea Goodacre and Brigette Del Ponte reached on consecutive hit by pitches in the fourth inning.Including Friday’s 5-3 win over the returning Super Regional advancers, UO has won six of their last eight meetings (and 20 all-time). In recent years under their fourth-year mentor White, the Ducks took the series by 2-1 counts in Tucson last year and in Eugene in 2011.

Looking ahead, the two teams meet for the series finale Sunday at noon, and the game will be televised live by the Pac-12 Network.

For Sunday’s ASA Day promotion, kids that wear their softball/baseball uniforms to the game will get $2 tickets. The contest is also a BiMart 2-for-1 ticket deal for fans that show their BiMart cards at the gate.

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