Oregon softball outslugged in a heartbreaker in College Park, go home early

For the second year in a row the Ducks are one and done at the Big Ten Tournament.

They had earned the two seed after a 40-11 regular season but bombed out in one game once again, losing 11-9 to Wisconsin as the Badgers drilled four home runs.

Down to their last three outs in College Park and behind 11-8, Stefini Ma'ake led off the 7th with an opposite field solo home run to get the Ducks within two, her second of the day and fourth in the last week.

But Kaylynn Jones struck out and Rylee McCoy lined out to right, and the Ducks were down to their final out. Addison Amaral came to the plate as a pinch hitter, fell behind 1-2, fouled off three pitches before lining out to shallow centerfield, fielded over the shoulder by shortstop Hannah Conger.

The Ducks ripped nine hits and three home runs but fell short of completing their 21st comeback win. Still, it's been a remarkable season. They ranked No. 9 in the country before the loss today.

Now they have to hang on and hope the quick exit doesn't hurt them too much in RPI. They were in line to host a regional at 40-11, but it's the first 16 seeds that get them. Selection Sunday is May 10, 4 p.m. PT on ESPN2.

A battle with five lead changes, but the Ducks have a long frustrating flight home

Version 8 Ducks spotted the Badgers four runs in the top of the first, got three back with a home run by Stefini Ma'ake, scored two in the second combining a solo home by Elon Butler and back-to-back doubles by Amari Harper and Emma Cox to take a 5-4 lead.

After Wisconsin struck for two runs in the third and a solo home run in the fourth, they trailed 7-5, only to take the lead back with three runs in the 4th, 8-7. Then Wisconsin tied it with a run in the fifth, 8-8.

In the fifth, Ayanna Shaw and Tary Ho put good swings on the ball but drilled line drives right to the left fielder and center fielder. Batting ninth third basemen Katie Flannery struck out.

The game went into the sixth, still tied 8-8. Starter Lyndsey Grein reentered the game in the pitching circle after a tough first inning in which she gave up a homer and four runs while getting just two outs..

Talk about resilience. Grein issued a lead off walk, then an opposite field single to Whidden. She worked Dani Lucey to 0-2 and struck her out on three pitches, a curve ball outside for strike three. A shallow popup to centerfield scored the runner from third, off a diving catch by Ayanna Shaw.

Grein induced a flyout to left to end the inning.

But Wisconsin led again 9-8, the fifth lead change of the game with the Ducks down to six outs. Tension mounted. In two seasons in the Big Ten they'd won 16 straight regular season series, but they've yet to win a game at the Big Ten Tournament, sent home by Michigan in the quarterfinal last year.

Down a run, Oregon sent the top of the order to bat in the top of the sixth, Elon Butler, Amari Harper, catcher Emma Cox. Butler worked Wisconsin pitching for two walks and the solo homer in her first three trips, scoring all three times, a dangerous hitter, but Kendra Lewis laid out for a foul ball outside the right field line that just stuck in her glove, a snow cone, one out.

Harper took called strike three, Cox grounded out, and the Ducks were down to their last three outs.

Hannah Conger led off the Badger 7th with a solo home run to deep left, giving her squad a two-run cushion.

Throughout the game Oregon pitchers labored with a squeezed, inconsistent strike zone, throwing 138 pitches in 7 innings. Counts ran deep. UW batters fought off out pitch after out pitch. Grein labored, struggling to find the zone after racking up a 23-5 record in the regular year.

A two-out bloop single by Kendra Lewis gave the underdogs a three-run bulge.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow