The Oregon softball team needed one win in two games to keep its season alive.
But a determined South Carolina team proved too much to overcome Sunday at Beckham Field in Columbia, S.C.
The Gamecocks, the host of the Columbia Regional, responded from an earlier defeat, forced a second game, and then made a comeback in the final game to advance and end Oregon’s season short of the program’s first-ever trip to Super Regionals.
South Carolina won 2-0 in the first game and 4-3 in the second.
“As a team, we are devastated,” Oregon coach Kathy Arendsen said in a release. “This is an amazing team, my favorite in 20 years of coaching.
“These kids did everything we asked them to, and I’m very proud of them.”
The Ducks advanced to the Regional Championship after a 4-0 win against Penn State in the opening game Friday and an 8-4 win against South Carolina on Saturday – the first time in program history Oregon reached the championship after just two games.
South Carolina set up the rematch with the Ducks by beating the bracket’s top-seed and the 15th overall seed in the tournament, North Carolina State, for the second time.
Oregon needed just one win in two games in the double-elimination tournament to advance and appeared to be headed for victory in the second game until the Gamecocks rallied late to shock the Ducks.
Oregon led 3-0, all three runs scored by senior Suzie Barnes, and junior pitcher Alicia Cook was rolling after five innings. But Cook ran into trouble in the sixth.
With one on, Cook allowed consecutive singles – one on an RBI-single from Lindsay Walker – and a two-RBI triple from Ashton Payne, which tied the game.
Cook, who was the starter and pitcher of record in the first three of Oregon’s postseason games, was relieved by sophomore Melissa Rice.
Rice got out of the sixth but gave up a double, putting runners on second and third. With two outs, the Ducks intentionally walked South Carolina’s leading hitter, McKenna Hughes, in order to face Jessica Josker, who made the Ducks pay with the game-winning single – her third straight game with a decisive hit.
In game one of the regional championships, the Ducks also chose to intentionally walk Hughes, a .330 hitter during the regular season, and Josker came up with an RBI single.
North Carolina State intentionally walked Hughes on Saturday and Josker delivered a three-run, game-winning double to keep South Carolina’s season alive.
She became the hero again for the Gamecocks.
“You have to give the kid credit,” Arendsen said. “I had to look at the stats and take my chances; that’s the way softball goes. It burned us, the same way it burned NC State last night. But quite frankly I’d do it again and take my chances.”
The Ducks were led in the tournament by redshirt freshman Jenn Salling. The Pac-10’s Newcomer of the Year went 5-for-11, including two home runs in the opener against Penn State. Sophomore Sari-Jane Jenkins finished 7-for-13 and scored four runs.
Cook went 2-1 in the tournament and drew the admiration of her coach.
“Alicia Cook pitched her heart out,” Arendsen said.
Oregon ends its season at 44-19, the most wins in Arendsen’s five-year career and the program’s highest total since the 1989 Ducks won 54 games.
Oregon, once winners of a school record 18 straight, got off to the best start in program history at 36-3 before hitting a few rough patches in Pac-10 play.
But the Ducks seemingly found their stride late with a season-high three-game conference winning streak, including wins against No. 9 Arizona State and No. 16 Stanford. The Ducks carried that momentum, at least early, into the postseason but fell short again. Oregon has lost all four “if necessary” games in the postseason under Arendsen.
South Carolina advances to its first Super Regional and will take on second-seeded Northwestern, the winner of the Evanston, Ill. Regional and last year’s NCAA runner-up, next weekend.
“I want to congratulate South Carolina on an amazing battle,” Arendsen said. “They played great, were relentless, and they never got down during the game. We wish them the best of luck during the rest of the Super Regional.”
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