Heartbreak at LaCosta: Oregon women's golf falls in semis
At Omin LaCosta resort in Carlsbad, California the Oregon women beat Texas in their quarterfinal match only to fall to Northwestern in the semifinals Tuesday. The Wildcats will meet Stanford for the national championship.
The Ducks stood second after three days of stroke play and their match with NWU was all square with team ace Kiara Romero on the course against Dianna Lee of Northwestern. Romero fell to Lee, 2-up.
At the ninth hole each team led two matches while Lee and Romero were tied.
Match play is a crucible. Romero made par on 17 to take her match all the way to the final hole, but her approach shot on 18 found the bunker, needing an up-and-down with not much green to work with to win the hole and the match.
A tough shot in a pressure situation, and this time the Big Ten individual medalist and Gold Canyon Regional Champion came up short. She missed and had to concede the hole and the match.
Afterward, Big Ten Coach of the Year Derek Radley consoled his team.
Huskers, Spartans battle to the 10th with the Spartans using up their champion
In Pool A of the Big Ten Baseball Tournament No. 8-seed Nebraska and 12-seed Michigan State met Tuesday at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Big Red winning in the 10th with a walkoff RBI single by Robbie Bolin.
MSU starting pitcher Joesph Dzierwa, the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year over the Ducks' Grayson Grinsell, threw 104 pitches in the loss, so he won't be able to go when Oregon takes on the Spartans in their opening game, Thursday from the Schwab at 4 p.m. PT, televised on the Big Ten Network.
Dzierwa threw a complete-game, three-hit shutout against the Ducks on May 2, striking out 11 and outdueling Grinsell, 2-0.
The Ducks take on Nebraska Friday. Tournament play is compressed, a challenge to every team's pitching staff. Oregon solidified theirs during a 14-out-of-15 run at the end of the season, but it's a single elimination tournament after pool play.
Reliving softball's dramatic comeback with Melyssa Lombardi and her stars
Oregon advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals Sunday with a three-run home run by Dez Patmon in their last at bat, completing a 7-run comeback after trailing Stanford 7-3 in the third inning.
The Ducks will host Liberty in the Super Regionals beginning on Friday at 7 p.m. PT at Jane Sanders Stadium, televised on ESPNU.
Melyssa Lombardi fielded a congratulatory message from Oregon football coach Dan Lanning on social media.