Down 1-0 after five innings, Oregon got a late power surge to take the series opener at Arizona State and keep its hopes of hosting an NCAA Regional alive.
Allee Bunker and Alyssa Daniell each hit two-run home runs in the sixth and Paige Sinicki added a solo shot for the No. 18 Ducks in a 5-2 win over the Sun Devils Friday night at Farrington Stadium.
Morgan Scott (8-4) allowed two runs, one earned, on four hits, a walk and hit batter and struck out nine over 7.0 innings in the win for the Ducks (26-11, 6-7 Pac-12).
Yanni Acuna hit a solo home run in the first for Arizona State (22-13, 5-8), which entered the weekend No. 36 in RPI.
Oregon got runners aboard in four of the first five innings, but ASU’s Mac Osborne made it through unscathed until the sixth.
Kai Luschar drew a leadoff walk and Bunker smashed the first pitch to left-center for her ninth home run of the season to put the Ducks ahead. A bunt single by Terra McGowan ended the night for Osborne (4-9), who allowed three runs on five hits and three walks. Daniell followed with a two-run blast to right to make it 4-1.
ASU added a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth. The Sun Devils, who entered the weekend hitting a conference low .203 in Pac-12 play, went 0 for 11 with runners on, including 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position, despite getting the lead off batter on for four straight innings.
UO responded with a leadoff homer from Sinicki to open the seventh. It was the first home run of the season for the sophomore shortstop.
The teams will continue the series at 5 p.m. Saturday.
