Oregon Softball watches season end in disaster finish to NCAA Tournament

After being the victim of a no-hitter against Mississippi State earlier in the day, Oregon quickly needed to shake off the loss to try to advance to play the Bulldogs again on Sunday. After Saint Mary's eliminated Idaho State, the Ducks were tasked with trying to fight to play one more game. The task at hand only got harder when it was announced that once again, Taylor Grein was out with an eye infection.

At the top of the 1st inning, Elon Butler quickly ensured that the Ducks wouldn't be the victim of a no-hitter once again as she blasted a home run to left field on the first pitch for a perfect start to the game.

The game remained 1-0 in favor of the Ducks into the fourth inning before this game became truly chaotic. Katie Flannery finally gave the Ducks some much-needed breathing room, blasting a 2-run home run through the rain out to center.

How a promising night turned into a nightmare end to Oregon's season

Just when the Ducks had some breathing room and the fans could relax a bit, a nightmare bottom of the 4th inning unfolded. Taylour Spencer allowed two singles to start the inning, bringing Elise Sokolsky to the mound. After a quick strikeout, Sokolsky got a fly ball that Amari Harper nearly reeled in, but the ball falling loaded the bases.

Stefini Ma'ake was unable to reel in a ball hit to her, allowing the Gaels to score a pair making it 3-2 Ducks. Two batters later, Saint Mary's grabbed control of the lead on a single to left field quickly putting the Ducks in a 4-3 hole.

Oregon was able to answer instantly as a Saint Mary's error to start the inning allowed the Ducks to tie the game on a bases-loaded walk. The issue was that failing to bring in more than a run left the Ducks in a vulnerable place with a dangerous Saint Mary's team.

After two quick outs by Sokolsky, St Mary's struck again as a 2-out single set the Gael's up to retake the lead on a triple down the line in right.

In the bottom of the 6th inning, Oregon was able to put a pair on base thanks to a hit by pitch and a walk, but the Ducks couldn't manage to bring the tying run home. Ayanna Shaw knocked a 1-out single up the middle for the Ducks, but a strikeout and a pop out sealed the Ducks' fate.

When the NCAA Tournament started with the news that Taylor Grein was sidelined with an eye infection, the path to surviving the Regional was even tougher for the Ducks. Even with Grein, beating Mississippi State with the way the offense looked would've been an incredibly tough task, especially if the Ducks needed to do it twice on Sunday.

The offense wasn't nearly good enough on Saturday, especially as they needed to step up with Grein absent, and it cost the Ducks the season. In the season finale, the Ducks left 11 runners on base, and with the misplays in the field, that's always going to be a recipe for disaster.

Melyssa Lombardi now has a few weeks to regroup before a pivotal Transfer Portal cycle, which opens on June 15th, as she'll be tasked with replacing a key group of Seniors.

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