EUGENE – The #3 seed University of Oregon softball team (49-9) celebrated its fourth straight Super Regional bid with a 3-0 win over No. 25 Wisconsin (44-13) Saturday afternoon at Howe Field.
Offensively, the Ducks made the most of their three hits – two being homers – while its All-Pac-12 pitching duo raised their scoreless streak to 19 straight innings.
“It was great to win a Regional at home against some very good teams,” Oregon head coach Mike White said. “We got better each game. Our pitching did their part, and I was even more pleased with our defense. Their pitcher was great, and even though we only had a couple hits, we had a lot of others that were hit hard, but right at them.”
In the second inning, senior center fielder Samantha Pappas claimed her sixth game-winning RBI of the season in dramatic fashion with a solo homer into the left field bleachers.
The All-American from Mission Viejo, Calif., also moved into a tie for the Duck career homer record (37) shared by senior second baseman Kaylan Howard and Andrea Vidlund.
“I had an idea what to look for and did my best to hit it hard,” Pappas said. “Getting to play in the postseason is such an honor, and especially at home in front of our friends and family. That will be a special memory for me for years to come.”
After a seventh-inning walk to junior first baseman Kailee Cuico, freshman catcher Janelle Lindvall provided a pair of insurance runs with a two-out homer. That drive over the right center field wall stood as her 12th round-tripper of 2013 and moved her into a tie for eighth all-time in a season for UO.
In the circle, the Ducks staked their second straight shutout and 16th of the season after limiting the Badgers to four singles and no walks.
Freshman Cheridan Hawkins
Cheridan Hawkins
(18-5) won her first postseason start, struck out three, gave up two hits, and hit two batters in her four innings.
White inserted senior Jessica Moore into the game in the fifth inning, and the Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year finished her 16th contest of the campaign. En route to her second save of the season, the All-American from Sutter, Calif., struck out four, walked none and allowed two hits in the final three innings.
“Cheridan mixed up her speeds well,” White said. “She did exactly what we wanted and then Jess came in and switched it up on them. The luxury of having Jess coming off the bench is very nice. These players have worked hard for everything they get.”
Hawkins’ 18th win moved her to 12th on the Duck season all-time list, and Ceo moved to ninth in sacrifice hits (12).
Raising its record in NCAA Regional play to 12-0 under White, the Ducks opened the tourney the previous two days with Moore’s complete games over BYU (3-0) and North Carolina (5-2).
Looking ahead to Sunday evening, the Ducks will find out the dates and times of next weekend’s Super Regional dates vs. the Lincoln, Neb., Regional winner.
All 16 Super Regional sites will feature two teams in two-day, best-of-three game format, with every tilt televised by various ESPN channels.
Those winners will advance to the eight-team, double-elimination Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City, May 30-June 5.
Jessica Moore
The Ducks claimed their second-ever WCWS bid last year after it took the Austin, Texas Super Regional by a 2-1 count.
Counting Oregon’s second straight regional title at home Saturday, the program is is now 15-6 overall in the postseason under White in his four years at the helm (with 13 of those wins staked by Moore).
“It will be really nice to stay at home next week,” Moore said, “especially with us still having class. We can sleep in our own beds while someone else has to travel. The crowds keep getting bigger and bigger, and we have had great fan support which makes a huge difference.”
Related Articles:
Charles Fischer has been an intense fan of the Ducks, a season ticket holder at Autzen Stadium for 38 years and has written reports on football boards for over 26 years. Known as “FishDuck” on those boards, he is acknowledged for providing intense detail in his scrimmage reports, and in his Xs and Os play analyses. He is single, has a daughter Christine, and resides in Eugene Oregon where he was a Financial Advisor for 36 years.
He now focuses full-time on Charitable Planned Giving Workshops for churches and non-profit organizations in addition to managing his two Oregon Football Websites, of FishDuck.com and the Our Beloved Ducks forum. He is a busy man!
He does not profess to be a coach or analyst, but simply a “hack” that enjoys sharing what he has learned and invites others to correct or add to this body of Oregon Football! See More…