Ducks fall to UCLA on the last pitch of the game in World Series opener

With two outs in the bottom of the 7th, UCLA centerfielder Jessica Clements lifted a home run to centerfield to send her team to the winners bracket of the College World Series, the Ducks losing 4-2 in Oklahoma City.

On the ESPN broadcast they noted that only one double digit seed has ever won the Softball College World Series, and the vast majority of tournament winners (79 percent) have won their first game of the tournament.

A team that's thrived all year on heart and resilience, the Ducks face Ole Miss Friday at 6:30 p.m. PT to stay alive.

Tonight's game ended around 12:10 a.m. Central Time.

The Ducks went down quickly in the top of the first. Kai Luschar struck out, Kedre hit a tapper back to the pitcher. Freshman All-American Rylee McCoy fouled off three pitches on a two-strike count, working it full, before swinging through a rise ball and gaining first when the ball slipped past the catcher, a wild pitch.

Shortstop Paige Sinicki fell behind 0-2 before hitting another tapper back to the pitcher, inning over, the Ducks a little off their timing after the two-hour rain delay.

Lyndsey Grein started for the Ducks, fresh off a brilliant pitching win over Liberty on Saturday, a three-hitter where she gave up a leadoff homer but settled down to retired 19 in a row while striking out ten.

Her fastball found the strike zone early, hitting the radar gun at 69 mph. The lights went out for a moment with a 1-2 count on the leadoff hitter Jessica Clements, hitting .500 so far in the tournament. Grein got her on a flyball to Kedre Luschar in centerfield.

A capacity crowd at the afternoon games, the rain delay and lightning thinned it to a third of capacity. After the lights flickered off again the umpires called for a delay.

Already the game was a renewal of PAC-12 After Dark. It had reached 10 p.m CT by the time the Bruins' No. 2 hitter Savannah Pola stepped into the box.

Pola reached base on a swinging bunt that dropped perfectly in front of home plate, no chance for either Grein or catcher Emma Cox.

That brought up dangerous third baseman Jordan Woolery, tied for the team lead in home runs. Showing her bat across home plate with a 1-2 count, taking outside, fouling one off.

After a pitch count violation, Grein induced a shallow fly to center, handled easily. Two outs. Megan Grant dug in, 25 homers on the year. Grein missed on four pitches, two on.

Freshman Rylee Slimp, a slap hitter, tapped to third. Katie Flannery took it to the bag to complete a scoreless first.

So far this season the Ducks have a 42-0 record when they hit a home run. In the second they brought up Dez Patmon, Cox and Stefini Ma'ake, all with power, looking for a spark.

They seemed to have trouble with starting pitcher Kaitlyn Terry's drop ball, a pitch not many pitchers master. Strike out. pop out and a strike out, this time a rise ball, already Oregon's fourth K of the game.

On first today, Ma'ake made a nice pick on a low throw from Sinicki for out one. A shallow fly to right, Luschar and Patmon bumped into each but Luschar asserted herself and made the play. Grein hit 70 on the gun, fouled off for 2-2, then struck out Sofia Mujaci with a rise ball.

Still no score in the third, Jones and Flannery due up, then the top of the order. Kaylynn Jones got the Ducks a spark with a squibber down the line, beating it out for a base hit.

Flannery laid down a bunt to move her over. After Kai Luschar tapped to first, Kedre barreled a single into right to score Jones, 1-0.

A liner to center carried out to Luschar and she clutched her to her chest. Sinicki backpedaled to handle a pop to shallow center, two pitches, two outs.

Luschar backed all the way to the wall to haul in a fly ball at the top of the wall, denying Pola of a home run, inning over.

The Ducks went down in order in the third. Grein who had retired seven in a row, had to go back to work with the power, Woolery and Grant due up.

Woolery ripped a single into left. Lauren Hatch came in to pinch run, the UCLA dugout getting rowdy, party hats, drumming bats against the metal step. A pop out to third for out number one retired Grant.

Grein worked outside to Slimp, ahead 1-2. Missed outside. Ma'ake collected a ground ball up the line, a nice play. Runner goes to second.

There's a conference in the circle. The field at Devon Park is beautifully manicured, as green as The Field of Dreams.

Catcher Alexis Ramirez up now, count 2-2 with two outs. She powers a home run into the left field seats for a 2-1 lead, a letter-high rise ball driven six rows deep.

In the Ducks' fifth they got another infield single from the speedy Jones, this one on a high chopper in the hole, but she was thrown out at second by Ramirez, trying to get in scoring position with two outs.

Pola stroked a two-out double to left center, bringing up Woolery. Grein bore down with two quick strikes, then blew a fast ball by her to keep the Ducks in the game, down one, six outs left.

All year long they'd been a resilient and spirited team, but since the Ramirez home run it was the Bruin dugout that danced and chanted. Terry had them subdued, quiet, serious. They play best loose.

Kai Luschar struck out looking, just the fourth time all year she'd struck out twice. Another tapper back to the mound, the top of the order pressing a bit.

McCoy chased a ball at her ankles, then took outside. Lifted a foul into the seats. Chopped another foul off the plate. Takes outside.

Strikes out swinging on a ball over her head. Oregon with just three outs left, guessing and tentative at the plate.

Woolery singled and Grant walk to lead off the Bruin sixth, two on and no outs. Elise Sokolsky came in to pitch. Grein gave her the ball and a hug, having pitched 5+ allowing five hits, the two runs on the homer in the fourth.

She'd run up 15 two-strike counts tonight but struck out only two.

A bunt advanced both runners, bringing Bruin hero Ramirez to the plate. Sokolsky got her waving weakly on a riseball outside, a huge out with a runner on third.

Emma Cox, who'd caught a beautiful game today blocking balls low, high and wide, got the Ducks the third out of the inning trapping Grant with a snap throw to second.

Jones snapped a throw back to Cox, getting lead runner Woolery in a rundown, tagged out at third.

Great relief pitching and defense had given the Ducks one more life., but could they get to Terry?

Sinicki laced a double into the left field corner, just fair, reviewed, Sinicki hustling all the way, diving in just ahead of the tag. Ruling upheld, fair ball.

The Ducks were on their feet in the dugout, Patmon up, Patmon who'd been clutch all during the tournament. She bunted Sinicki over to third.

Cox took strike one over the outside corner, ball one wide, fouled off another 1-2. She held up on a ball outside and spoiled another, fouled another into the seats.

A grounder to third picked up quickly, throw home, Sinicki out, appealed for obstruction.

Sinicki had no path to the plate, it seemed, but the ruling took a long time. Quiet and tension. After review, Sinicki ruled safe by obstruction, tie game.

When Ma'ake fouled off strike one, the clock struck midnight and the umpires conferenced. PAC-12 After Dark, same as it ever was. The conference took three, four minutes. Hushed silence., no explanation.

Play continued, 1 and 2 to Ma'ake. A weak fly to second, two outs. Jones up now, 2-2 tonight. A grounder to third ended the inning.

Sokolsky got a groundout and a foul out before the Clements homer.

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