Oregon softball falls to Oklahoma State in Stillwater Super Regional opener
The Oregon softball team will be playing with its season on the line on Friday.
The Ducks (38-15, 14-10 Pac-12) fell, 8-1, to Oklahoma State in the opening game of the Stillwater Super Regional at Cowgirl Stadium on Thursday.
Despite a strong start to the evening, Oregon was undone by a four-run fifth inning that enabled Oklahoma State to take control of the game for good.
Ducks’ starter Morgan Scott tossed 3 1/3 innings and held the Cowgirls to two earned runs on five hits, lowering her ERA to 2.69 on the season in the process. But reliever Raegan Breedlove entered the game with the bases loaded midway through the fourth and surrendered five runs on the evening — just one of which was earned.
The Ducks committed two errors, both of which proved to be costly.
“I think we pride ourselves on making the routine plays; I don’t think we fully executed in that tonight,” Oregon second baseman Allee Bunker said. “Great plays come once in a while. We had some great plays tonight. But I think it just comes down to making those routine plays.”
Oregon jumped out to an early 1-0 lead after KK Humphreys reached on a single and later scored on Alyssa Daniell’s single through the right side.
But the Cowgirls evened the score in the fourth when Kiley Naomi launched a solo homer to deep left-center field to make it a 1-1 ballgame.
Oklahoma State then pushed its lead to 2-1 when a throwing error from Scott enabled Micaela Wark to score. The next batter, Tallen Edwards, ripped an RBI single to make it 3-1.
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But Oregon escaped the bases-loaded jam when Ducks’ second baseman Bunker recorded an unassisted double play to end the inning.
The Cowgirls tacked on another run in the fifth inning when Wark drove home Becker with a groundout to make it 4-1, despite a dazzling play at second base from Bunker to get the out at first. Before Oregon could escape the inning, Morgyn Wynne smashed a three-run homer to left field that ended the Ducks’ hopes of a comeback.
Oklahoma State starter Lexi Kilfoyl tossed a complete game and held Oregon to just one earned run on three hits — all singles — while striking out three and walking none.
She retired the Ducks’ final 17 batters she faced.
“I think just spotting the ball low; she throws hard and low. It was just trying to get our pitch; haven’t seen her this year, so I think it was good to be able to see her,” Bunker said. “And you know, just take it one at-bat at a time and make adjustments one at bat a time.”
Oregon and Oklahoma State will face off at 3 p.m. PT Friday. A Cowgirl’s win would send them to the College World Series, while a Ducks’ win would force a third game, which would be played Saturday.
