Down one in the seventh inning against No. 13 Stanford, No. 15 Oregon softball put the tying run on second base with one out. Braiesey Rosa and Remmington Hewitt both came to the plate with the chance to deliver, but the Ducks struck out twice to end the game and end their bid for a sweep of the Cardinal Classic.

On Sunday, the Ducks’ final game of the weekend was a battle between the Ducks (5-3) and the Cardinal (7-1). The Ducks looked to sweep the Cardinal Classic after they took two wins over the Cal State Fullerton Titans in two days, and won their game against the University of Kentucky Wildcats with a five inning 9-0 win.

Taylour Spencer, after firing 5 innings of one-hit softball yesterday in the run-rule win over the Wildcats, was back out in the circle for the Ducks. 

The Cardinal got to Spencer early. A walk, a Ducks error and a groundout set up runners at second and third. A wide throw home from Kaylynn Jones at second base plated the first run of the game. 

Addyson Sheppard grounded out to Jones for the second out, but knocked in the Cardinal’ second run of the inning – the Cardinal led the Ducks 2-0 without registering a hit. 

Back-to-back singles from Emma Cox and Ayanna Shaw and a walk to Braiesey Rosa loaded up the bases with no outs. Ma’ake was hit by the pitch and brought in the first Oregon run, but that was all the Ducks got.

Amari Harper opened up the third inning blasting a home run to center field, tying up the game 2-2 for the Ducks. That, though, was it for the Ducks’ bats in the third: two strike outs and a bunt that popped up to the pitcher ended what looked to be a promising inning after the leadoff blast. 

Stanford scored two runs in the bottom of the inning Two singles and a wild pitch set up two runners in scoring position. With two outs, a Sheppard single drove in Jade Berry and Kyra Chan; Sheppard was thrown out to end the inning when she tried to steal second base.

The Ducks scored in the top of the fourth inning to cut the Stanford lead to 4-3e: Ma’ake was hit by the pitch again and Katie Flannery singled. Jones roped a ball down the third base line to score Ma’ake. The Ducks loaded the bases, but failed to drive in anyone else. Spencer’s (3.2 IP, 3 ER, 2 K) day was done in the fourth after giving up a two-out double.Elise Sokolsky came out of the bullpen to take over and promptly struck out Ava Gall to end the inning.

Cox (who was replaced on the basepaths by Regan Legg) and Shaw singled to start the fifth. Legg and Shaw advanced to second and third base with one out after Rosa bunted them over. 

The Cardinal turned a slick double play after Addison Amaral popped up her bunt to Cardinal first baseman Taryn Kern who fired to third baseman Berry to double off Legg and hold the Ducks scoreless in the half-inning.

Jade tripled in the bottom of the fifth for the Cardinal. An intentional walk to Kyra Chan gave Sheppard runners at the corners. Sheppard wasted no time and singled on the first pitch she saw to give Stanford a 5-3 lead and end Sokolsky’s day. 

True freshman Maddie Milhorn came in to limit the damage. A two-out walk to Joie Economides loaded the bases for Stanford but Cox shut down Stanford’s hope for insurance runs as she fired down to second base to pick off Sheppard to end the fifth.

Milhorn didn’t last long, though, after she hit Emily Jones with two outs in the bottom of the sixth. Lyndsey Grein took over, the fourth pitcher Oregon used in the game. 

In top of the seventh, the Ducks plated Elon Butler, who reached by hit by the pitch with one out, and scored after Cox doubled into left field. An error at third put Shaw on first and the Ducks had runners at first and second.

Rosa and pinch-hitter Hewitt both struck out to end the game. Stanford took the final game of Oregon’s Cardinal Classic with a score of 5-4.

Oregon stays in California Feb. 19 – Feb. 21 for the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Cathedral City. The Ducks will face Auburn University, Texas A&M, University of South Carolina, Cal State Fullerton and Duke University in that tournament. FloCollege will have the video broadcast and KWVA will have the radio broadcast.