After winning three straight elimination games at the Eugene Regional and another one last night against Ole Miss, the Ducks fell 4-1 to Oklahoma at the College World Series Sunday night.
Elise Sokolsky started for the Ducks, pitching out of a bases-loaded situation in the first after the Sooners struck for two singles.
Dezianna Patmon hit a solo home run in the second to give the Ducks a 1-0 lead, but in the Oklahoma 2nd Sokolsky left a rise ball over the plate that Isabela Emerling deposited into the left field seats for a tying home run.
Kaylynn Jones ranged far to her left diving to stop a ground ball but could not get it out of her glove in time, Kasidi Pickering safe at first, two outs and one on.
Ella Parker ripped a single into right for runners at the corners. Sokolsky got ahead of Sydney Barker, tough in scoring position. A changeup missed just inside. She got her looking on the next pitch, the Sooners stranding five over the first two innings, 1-1.
Katie Flannery led off the Oregon 3rd with a single. Kai Luschar lined a single into left, a ball that dropped in off the heel of the glove of leftfielder Pickering.
Kedre Luschar then blooped a ball into shallow left field that shortstop Gabbie Garcia reached, turning into a double play by picking off the runner at second, two outs and just one on.
It wasn't a baserunning mistake by pinch runner Regan Legg, just a situation where she was caught in between, having to go halfway in case the ball fell in, just a tough break for the Ducks.
Kai Luschar stole second, her 60th stolen base of the year, a Big Ten record. McCoy walked, two on and two outs for senior cleanup hitter Paige Sinicki. Sinicki struck out for the first time this postseason, leaving two.
Lyndsey Grein came in to pitch, striking out Garcia to start the 3rd. McEnroe-Marinas singled through the hole. Cydney Sanders lifted a 3-2 changeup out of the ballpark, good for a 3-1 lead.
Grein labored, three straight hitters going to a 3-2 count. The official scorer gave third baseman Katie Flannery an error on a tough chance down the line. Grein hit Abigale Dayton on the back of the helmet, two on and two out.
A foul fly ended the inning, but it took 38 pitches.
The Ducks got a two-out infield single from Jones but that was all in the 4th. Grein sent down the Sooners 1-2-3, getting back a little momentum.
Oregon went down in order in the 5th, two nice plays at third by McEnroe-Marinas throwing out the Luschar sisters.
Sanders gave OU a three-run lead with a solo home run in their half. After a groundout and a strike out, the Ducks were back to bat, down to their last six outs.
Starting in her 219th game at Oregon, Paige Sinicki got her team a baserunner by dropping down a bunt single with one out.
Emma Cox swung through a changeup, but Sinicki stole second with two outs. Oklahoma pitcher Sam Landry finished her third scoreless inning, however, striking out Patmon to end the 6th.
This team had so much fight all season. In the Oklahoma 6th Jones dove to her left, snared a ground ball and got up to her knees to throw the runner out at first for the second out. A popout to short brought Oregon back to bat.
Landry remained dominant, setting down the Ducks in order, 4.1 innings of scoreless relief to finish the game.
Next year's team could feature this year's fabulous freshmen, Jones, Rylee McCoy, Stefini Ma'ake, and Emma Cox, all starters this year, plus sophomore third baseman Flannery. They say good-bye to Patmon, Sinicki and the Luschar sisters.
Lyndsey Grein and Elise Sokolsky are only juniors. Their return would be enormous.