The Ducks were in jeopardy of getting swept by the Cardinal by allowing a last-second push in the bottom of the seventh.
But, Elise Sokolsky stayed poised inside the circle. Sitting at a full count, she began her windup.
The pitch slapped the back of the glove for strike three to record the first of three consecutive outs.
Sokolsky ignited No. 21 Oregon’s (28-18, 13-10 Pac-12) 1-0 win against No. 6 Stanford (42-12, 17-7 Pac-12) on Sunday.
Sokolsky pitched a complete game. She got the start for the second-consecutive contest despite walking five batters and conceding the game-winning, two-RBI single on Saturday.
It was a different story in the final game of the series. Sokolsky recorded six Ks in the shutout, including a stretch where she retired 13-straight batters.
Ariel Carlson scored in the first inning for the second day in a row to give the Ducks a 1-0 advantage. The Cardinal caught Emma Kauf stealing over at second base, while Carlson advanced home from third.
In the first two games of the series, Stanford took the lead from Oregon in the following inning. On Sunday, however, Sokolsky began her afternoon with two Ks in the first and never looked back.
The fans at Smith Family Stadium didn’t witness stellar offense from either team on Sunday as both hit well below the Mendoza line due to the pitching performance on both sides. The two offenses combined for just four hits — two from Stanford and two from Oregon
Sokolsky’s performance became even more vital down the stretch with the narrow lead. Not a single Ducks’ batter reached base in the final three innings. Nijaree Canaday — who leads the NCAA in ERA — came on in relief for Regan Krause in the fourth. Canady made it tough on Oregon as she also recorded five Ks in her 3.1 innings pitched.
Ultimately, Carlson’s run ended up being the difference-maker on Sunday. The Ducks will gain a little bit of momentum as they turn their attention toward the postseason. Their defense has shown that they can contend with the top teams in the Pac-12 despite the season-ending injury to center fielder Hanna Delgado. Questions still remain surrounding the team’s recent offensive performances without their second batter as they embark on their postseason journey.
The win moves Oregon up to the third seed in the Pac-12 Tournament. The Ducks will stay in the Bay Area to play Utah on Thursday at 10 a.m.
