NORMAN, Okla. — Oregon Softball's season came to an end on Sunday following a 3-2 defeat at the hands of the Oklahoma Sooners in the Normal Regional of the NCAA Softball Tournament. The Ducks picked up a pair of wins over Boston University — outscoring the Terriers 16-2 on Friday and Saturday — but their efforts weren't enough to take down the three-time reigning champs, losing 6-3 on Saturday before Sunday's loss ended their season.
After allowing two runs on four hits in 1.1 innings of relief against the Sooners on Saturday, Elise Sokolsky was handed the ball to start Sunday's game with Oregon's season on the line.
The Sooners jumped on her quickly with a pair of singles putting runners on the corners for Tiare Jennings — who tagged Sokolsky for a two-run homer in the previous game —before a single out could be recorded in the top of the first. Sokolsy sat Jennings down swinging, but a sacrifice fly one batter later brought home the first run of the game to give Oklahoma an early lead.
Sokolsky then loaded the bases by throwing eight consecutive balls to the next two Sooner hitters but Rylie Boone flew out to center, getting Sokolsky out of the jam before any more damage could be done.
Oregon went down in order in the bottom of the frame with Nicole May striking out both Kai Luschar and Ariel Carlson swinging. Sokoslky quickly retired the first batter of the second with a grounder to third before Avery Hodge battled for 11 pitches — fouling off seven in a row — before being hit by the 12th pitch to give the Sooners a base runner.
Two pitches later, Jayda Coleman roped a double into center field, bringing Hodge around to score and putting the Sooners ahead 2-0 after two innings. Sokolsky was relieved by Taylour Spencer who recorded the final two outs of the inning.
After another one-two-three inning for the Oregon offense in the bottom of the second, Spencer retired the Sooners in order in the third with a pair of flyouts and a grounder to second.
Oregon's offense finally woke up in the bottom half of the frame. Tehya Bird opened the scoring with a solo shot to left. After Paige Sinicki flew out to center for the second out, Luschar and Carlson smacked back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners before Carlson stole second to put two in scoring position for Emma Kauf.
She jumped on the first pitch, slapping a single into right field, bringing Luschar home to tie the game. Carlson thought she had a chance to give the Ducks their first lead against the Sooners since her first-inning homer on Saturday put Oregon up 1-0, but an incredible throw from Boone in right field was able to cut her down at the plate, ending the inning before the Ducks could take the lead.
Spencer picked up the first two outs of the fourth on a pair of flyouts a single, hit batter, and another single gave the lead back to Oklahoma, ending her day. Morgan Scott entered, throwing two pitches to force a pop-up to end the inning.
Alyssa Daniell doubled in the bottom of the inning, but strikeouts from Vallery Wong, Katie Flannery, and KK Humphreys ended the frame, leaving Daniell stranded at second.
Scott allowed a single in the top of the fifth before picking up her first strikeout to end the inning but the Ducks failed to give her any offensive support, sitting down in order on three consecutive groundouts.
Scott recorded another scoreless frame in the sixth, retiring Oklahoma with a one-two-three inning but a single by Kauf was the only base runner the Ducks managed in the bottom of the inning as they went scoreless again.
After Scott blanked the Sooners again in the seventh, it came down to the final three outs with the Ducks trailing by one. Daniell fouled off the first pitch she saw before bouncing a ball to second for the first out. Humphreys then grounded out to third on two pitches, bringing up Bird with the Ducks down to their final out. Kelly Maxwell sat her down on three quick pitches with Bird swinging through strike three for the final out of Oregon's 2024 season.
The Ducks finish the year with a record of 30-21, the fifth straight winning season under Melyssa Lombardi, and will now watch her former team attempt to bring their fourth consecutive and eighth total national championship back to Norman.