The Oregon Ducks (30-21) fell 3-2 to the Oklahoma Sooners (52-6) in the Norman Regional Final of the NCAA Tournament. With the loss, Oregon’s season comes to a close, falling short of a repeat appearance in a Super Regional.
Oklahoma’s Jayda Coleman led off the game with a single to immediately put pressure on the Ducks. She advanced to third on a single from Ella Parker, then opened the scoring on a sac-fly from Kasidi Pickering. Oregon’s Elise Sokolsky was able to get out of the inning without any more being tacked onto the lead, but the Ducks fell behind 1-0 early.
Sokolsky’s day in the circle ended quickly, as after hitting a batter, she allowed a double to Coleman for the Sooners’ second run of the game. Taylour Spencer replaced Sokolsky right after. Oregon was unable to answer in the second inning as Oklahoma’s Nicole May recorded her second straight 1-2-3 inning.
Spencer responded with a 1-2-3 inning of her own to give the Ducks another chance at the plate. They took full advantage. Tehya Bird homered to left field to put the first run on the board for Oregon. Kai Luschar and Ariel Carlson both singled to get on base, then Luschar was able to score on a single from Emma Kauf. Carlson tried to make it home, but was thrown out at the plate to end the inning in a 2-2 tie.
Coleman singled in the top of the fourth inning. She advanced to second on a hit batter, then scored on a single from Tiare Jennings to break the tie and give Oklahoma a 3-2 lead. Morgan Scott came in to replace Spencer, and promptly ended the inning.
The magic that the Ducks had found in the third inning ran out late in the game. Through the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, Oregon only mustered two hits and were unable to even the score back up. However, Scott made up for the offense stalling with a stellar performance in the circle. In her 3.1 innings, she allowed just one hit and no runs to give the Ducks a chance to even the score, or win, in the bottom of the seventh.
The Sooners responded to the high pressure situation by subbing in Kelly Maxwell — who had pitched 7.0 innings and allowed just one hit and one run in the previous matchup between the teams. The change in pitching proved to be too much for Oregon to handle, and Maxwell retired the side in just seven pitches.
With the win, Oklahoma moves on to the Super Regional round of the NCAA Tournament. The Ducks, on the other hand, head home early with the loss, failing to make it back to a Super Regional after they made it last season.
