The Lion’s Den was roaring on Sunday afternoon as Rylee McCoy tied the Oregon single-season record for home runs in the second inning. The Ducks never looked back as they kept their season alive.
In front of a packed crowd at Jane Sanders Stadium with a berth to the NCAA Super Regionals and a regional championship on the line, the No. 16 Oregon Ducks (50-8, 19-3 Big Ten) faced off against the all too familiar Stanford Cardinal (42-12, 16-8 ACC) in the opening game of the Eugene Regional championship. The Ducks got revenge with a 15-5 run-rule victory over Stanford in six innings, to keep their season alive and force a tiebreaker game.
Stanford starting pitcher Kylie Chung (2 1/3 IP, 6 H, 9 ER, 1 K, 8 BB) started the game by hitting leadoff hitter Kai Luschar with her pitch in the top of the first inning. Luschar proceeded to steal second and third bases. Freshmen McCoy and Stefini Ma’ake were walked back-to-back to load the bases with one out. Paige Sinicki became the third batter in a row to be walked, and brought a run home, to give the Ducks an early 1-0 lead. Dezianna Patmon singled and brought another run home, extending Oregon’s lead to two, before a line drive put a stop to the Ducks’ offensive momentum.
Oregon starting pitcher Lyndsey Grein (3 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 K, 2 BB) started the game struggling to contain the Cardinal’s offense in the bottom of the first. Wild pitches allowed Stanford to put two runs on the board to tie the game at two apiece. Grein got her first strikeout of the day, and then the Ducks were able to put the inning away with a pop-up.
Chung walked her fourth batter of the game, Katie Flannery, in the top of the second inning. Kai Luschar singled and then her sister Kedre Luschar doubled through an opening on the right side to bring Flannery home and make it a 3-2 Oregon game. McCoy then tied the single-season record for home runs, with her 19th of the season, by nailing one deep out to left center field for a three-run homer, opening the door and giving the Ducks a 6-2 lead.
Stanford needed a pitching change and brought in Zoe Prystajko (3 2/3 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 1 K, 2 BB) for Chung at the circle. However, Ma’ake doubled to keep the crowd on their feet. Sinicki hit a sacrifice bunt to advance Ma’ake to third. Catcher Emma Cox hit a fly into center field to bring home Ma’ake and make it a 7-2 Oregon game.
The Oregon defense started the bottom of the second inning strong, as Grein threw her second strikeout of the day. Allie Clements hit a solo homer, though, to make it a 7-3 Oregon lead. Kedre Luschar made a diving catch in center field to end the inning and leave one runner left on for the Cardinal.
Flannery started the top of the third inning reaching first on a fielder’s choice for the Ducks. Kai Luschar walked to put runners on first and second. Prystajko recorded her first strikeout of the day for Stanford, but then hit McCoy to load the bases. Oregon couldn’t convert the loaded bases to runs, putting a stop to Oregon's momentum.
Kai Luschar started the bottom of the third inning with two back-to-back fly outs, putting two outs on the board in two pitches for Oregon. A high pop-up caught by Sinicki ended the inning quickly in seven pitches.
Sinicki led off the top of the fourth with a single, but the Cardinal responded with a double play, getting both Sinicki and Cox out. Patmon flew out to center field in a quick six-pitch inning.
At the bottom of the fourth inning, Stanford placed two in scoring position early on second and third base. Oregon head coach Melyssa Lombardi decided it was time for a pitching change, bringing out Elise Sokolsky (3 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 4 K, 1 BB) for Grein. Clements singled through the left side, bringing home a run for the Cardinal and putting runners on the corners. A deep fly out from Taryn Kern brought one more run home to cut the deficit to two and make it a 7-5 Oregon lead. Sokolsky notched her first strikeout of the day to get the Ducks out of the jam.
Flannery found a gap up the left field line to get a base hit at the top of the fifth inning. Kai Luschar followed it up with a successful bunt to advance pinch runner Regan Legg to second and reach first herself. Kedre Luschar hit a deep bomb over The Bob in center field for another three-run homer, to make the score 10-5 Oregon. Sinicki hit a deep ball to triple and bring home one more run for the Ducks. Stanford needed a pitching change to put a stop to the Oregon offensive momentum, bringing Chung back out. Sinicki scored on a wild pitch to make it a 12-5 Ducks lead. Stanford finally got a ground out to put an end to the second five-run inning for Oregon.
Sokolsky recorded her second strikeout of the game before hitting Kyra Chan and walking Joie Economides, to put runners on first and second. A grounder at third brought the final out of the inning, leaving the deficit at seven for the Cardinal.
Jones singled at the top of the sixth inning, but after an errant throw to first, she attempted to advance, but was called out at second. Flannery walked, placing a runner on first. Kai Luschar hit a single into center field, and her sister Kedre Luschar walked to load the bases for Oregon. The bases stayed loaded after a single from McCoy, but no run came home as Flannery was called out at home plate. Ma’ake was hit by a wild pitch, advancing her to first, and bringing Kai Luschar home, to extend the lead to eight. Sinicki walked to bring home run number fourteen, and was followed up by a wild pitch to Braiesey Rosa that brought McCoy home, to make it a 15-5 Oregon lead. Stanford closed the inning with a strikeout from Chung.
With a lead of eight runs, Stanford had three outs to get three or more runs on the road, otherwise, the mercy rule would end the game early. Sokolsky started the bottom of the sixth with a strikeout, her third of the game. A ground out marked out number two in the inning, and the matchup came to a close with Sokolsky’s fourth strikeout of the game.
Oregon kept its hopes and dreams alive for just a bit longer. The Ducks will take on Stanford once again, with first pitch scheduled for 6:55 p.m. later Sunday evening, and a Super Regionals appearance on the line.