Ann Marie Topps single home of Suzi Barnes and Jen Salling provided Oregon and pitcher Melissa Rice with all the offense it would need in its 6-0 shutout of the No. 23 Georgia Bulldogs in the championship game of the Malihini Kipa Aloha Invitational in Honolulu Sunday.
Rice faced her biggest threat in the top of the first when Georgia’s leadoff hitter Charvi Greer singled her way aboard and stole second. After Sojourner Moody went down staring, Kellie Middleton and Megan McAllister reached on a fielder’s choice and an error, loading the bases with just one out. Rice wriggled out of trouble though, as the next hitter she faced, catcher Melissa Wood, banged into an inning-ending twin-killing.
Rice cruised from there, fanning twelve Bulldogs while allowing just six hits and not walking a batter.
Barnes added a three-run shot to right, her first of the season, putting the game well out of Georgia’s reach in the second inning. Topps added a solo shot of her own in the third to cap the game’s scoring.
The Ducks reached the final after defeating Georgia 5-0 and Hawaii 7-1 on Thursday. Oregon defeated Kent State 1-0 in eight innings then fell to St. Mary’s 2-1 in nine innings on Friday. The Ducks avenged that loss with a 10-1 victory against St. Mary’s on Saturday to face Georgia for the second time in the final game on Sunday.
From here, Oregon, now 20-2 on the season, heads to Las Vegas for the Eller Media Stadium Classic Thursday through Saturday for games against UNLV, New Mexico State, Miami of Ohio and Longwood University.