At Jane Sanders Stadium Saturday afternoon Lyndsey Grein retired 19 in a row in the circle, giving up a leadoff home run before setting down to work.
She allowed just two more hits as the Ducks boatraced Liberty to punch their ticket for Softball College World Series in Oklahoma City, 13-1.
In the top of the first Kai Luschar was hit by a pitch and stole second. Liberty coach Dot Richardson protested, call confirmed, safe. Two outs later she stole third, called safe. Richardson out of the dugout, jeered by the crowd.
Call overturned. Replays show the tag beat Luschar's hand to the bag. The Ducks took the field.
But Richardson was out of challenges. Savannah Woodard lead off the Flames' first with a home run off the scoreboard in right. Rachel Roupe singled through the middle, just ahead of a diving Kaylynn Jones at second.
Lyndsey Grein found her rhythm and struck out the side.
Paige Sinicki drove a 2-2 pitch into the right centerfield bleachers to tie the score. Patmon worked starting pitcher Kaylan Yoder for a walk.
Rylee McCoy, National Freshman of the Year Finalist and Oregon home run leader, injured Sunday in the regional win over Stanford, got a prolonged ovation when she came to the plate. She flew out to right center, applauded again as she made her way back to the dugout.
Jones slapped a two-out single to left, two on and two out. The Bama Hammer, Katie Flannery worked Yoder for a walk. Kai up again, prompting a change of pitchers.
Bases loaded. Kai Luschar hit a high chop to short, beating it out for an RBI single. Speed kills.
Kedre Luschar blooped a ball into foul ground down the left field line. Paige Doerr laid out for the ball near the fence for out number three, the Ducks stranding three but leading 2-1.
As so often happens, the player who made the great play in the field is due up first the next inning. Marist High grad Doerr grounded out to Ma'ake at first.
Ma'ake is nimble around the bag, like Poncho Laloulu blocking in front of a stretch play.
Grein took command. She struck out Rachel Craine looking with a letter-high rise ball. High fly ball to left. Kai deftly found the fence and gathered it in.
Two down quickly in the Ducks' third. Patmon took a vicious rip at an off speed pitch, then took low for ball three, ball four high and outside. McCoy set up in her open stance, hands all the way to the knob of the bat.
She rifled a single through the hole, two on. A chopper to third at the bag for an easy force, inning over. The Ducks have stranded five.
Grein throws first-pitch strikes, fielding a popup for one out. Sinicki swallowed up a ground ball for two.
Rachel Roupe came to the plate in her Joe Dimaggio wide stance but Sinicki swallowed her grounder up too. Three up, three down in the bottom of the third, Jones due to hit.
Jones lifted a flare into the Bermuda Triangle between short, left and center, alertly hustling for a double when the ball bounced away.
The Bamma Hammer mashed a ball into the gap, trading places for a 3-1 lead.
Luschar. She hit a comebacker to the circle, no time to check the runner. Kai out at first, Flannery moved up 60 feet.
On a grounder to short Flannery baits shortstop Jamaya Byrum into a play at third, beating the tag back to the bag, Kedre Luschar safe at first.
Ma'ake blooped a foul pop to third, caught. The umpires conferenced. Flannery called out for interference, ball dead, Ma'ake continued in the batter's box.
Something about LIberty seems to breed weird plays and rulings that invoke the jot and tittle of the law.
A chopper to third ended it with the Ducks stranding another. It came to the Liberty 4th with Grein standing like The Woman KIng over a two-run lead.
The ESPN crew interviews Richardson, with a player holding up a tee shirt behind her that said, "Go Flames. Go God." Grein set down her 10th and 11th in a row. Not today, God.
Flames' centerfielder KK Madrey has an angular face, like the lost love child of Otis Nixon or Willie McGee, a .406 hitter, a tough out. Grein blew a fast ball by her, her 12th victim.
Sinicki rips a single off the third baseman to lead off the fifth, the Ducks relentless and businesslike. She broke for second and the throw went high. Patmon walked. Speed makes you uncomfortable.
The home plate ump calls McCoy out on a pitch that striped the left hand batter's box. Cox destroys a waist high fast ball off the flag pole for a three-run homer, Ducks 6-1.
Jones slapped a single to right, her third hit of the day. Scrappy like Ryan Cooney, her counterpart on the baseball Ducks. Jones thrown out at second on a high throw, grazed on the shoulder by the sweep tag, it looked like.
The call went to review, again, this time challenged by the Ducks. Call confirmed. Lawyer ball only works for the truly legalistic, but Oregon is up by five.
Sinicki gobbled up another grounder. Luschar fought off the sun in left. Jones handled a looper. 15 in a row for Grein. Not today, God. Duck fans say their prayers too.
Two down quickly, then Ma'ake flied to center, where Madry gathered it in on a trot. Grein and the Ducks needed six more outs.
The Flames have two Savannahs and a Savanah. The third one, Savanah Whatley, pinch hit for Byrum in the sixth. Grein set her down with a fastball on the black.
Savannah Woodard followed, Grein blowing a 68 mph rise ball past her, then a screwball for her seventh strikeout. Grein struck out the side, 18 in a row, her green head band sparkling in the evening sun.
Runners always take a long stride trying to beat a throw to the bag. It's the long one that slows them down, a misapplication of diamond physics.
In the top of the 7th Sinicki laid down a bunt, whisker-close a first. Alert the media: The Ducks lost another review.
Patmon, hitting star of Oregon's last two games, stayed patient again, working Elena Escobar for her fourth walk of the game.
Rylee McCoy zipped a one-out single through the right side, two on, the Ducks threatening again.
A walk to Cox loaded the bases. The Ducks did a dance routine in the dugout, keeping the energy high. Good teams play loose in the bat-and-ball sports.
Jones served a single into left, bat on the ball, good for an RBI, kicking the extra point to make it 7-1. That chased Escobar.
Jones went 4-4 Saturday after a 1-3 outing Friday night, steady for the Ducks in the eight spot, a freshman, a national No. 6 recruit from Denton, Texas.
Luschar rapped a chopper to third, infield hit, RBI. Kedre sent a single up the middle, scoring two more. Are you not entertained? 10-1.
Sinicki tripled off the wall to clear the bases, a double short of the cycle, four RBI. The gold glove shortstop pretty much putting her foot on Liberty's neck. 13-1.
When Patmon struck out swinging it seemed like an act of mercy.
Grein took to the circle like a matador preparing to finish off a spent bull. She got the leadoff hitter looking, 19.
Henault beat out a chopper to first, the first batter to reach base for LU since the first inning. Force play, quick-tossed from Jones to Sinicki for the second out.
First-pitch strike to Doerr as rhythmic clapping began in the stands. She struck her out on three. Jubilation ensued. The Ducks will spend Memorial Day weekend in Oklahoma City.