Thursday, May 17
Eugene, OR
5:30 PM
University of Oregon
48-7
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Albany
32-15
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UAlbany
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Oregon
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Photo by: Eric Evans Photography/ University of Oregon
Burke's Blast Backs Elite Elish Effort As Ducks Win Regionals Opener
05/17/18 | Softball
Eugene native Lauren Burke hit a pinch-hit, two-run homer and Miranda Elish struck out 14 as Oregon opened play in the Eugene Regional with a 4-0 win Thursday over UAlbany.
EUGENE, Ore. — Whether Shannon Rhodes with a walk-off homer against UCLA, DJ Sanders blasting extra-inning grand slams against Oregon State and Washington, or Gwen Svekis batting .750 in a three-game series against Arizona, someone different seems to step up each weekend for the UO softball team.
On Thursday, it was Lauren Burke's turn. And fairy tales don't have anything on the storybook moment she enjoyed.
Making her postseason debut for her hometown team, the freshman from Eugene's Marist High School blasted a pinch-hit, two-run homer in the fifth inning Thursday for the Ducks. That provided some cushion as No. 1 Oregon finished off a 4-0 victory over fourth-seeded UAlbany on the opening day of the NCAA Eugene Regional, backing shutout pitching by sophomore Miranda Elish before a sold-out crowd of 2,522 fans in Jane Sanders Stadium.
The Ducks (48-7) moved on to face No. 2 seed Drake on Friday at 3 p.m. UAlbany moved on to an elimination game against BYU at 5:30 p.m., with the winner facing another elimination game against the Oregon-Drake loser at 8 p.m. Drake beat BYU in Thursday's regional opener, 3-2.
Burke was called on to pinch hit with two out in the fifth, after Jenna Lilley had scored on a wild pitch for a 2-0 lead. Elish was in command against the America East champion Great Danes, but the Ducks were having trouble timing the off-speed stuff of UAlbany starter Celeste Verdolivo.
Against Burke, Verdolivo went with something hard: a riseball. But it didn't rise enough — until, that is, Burke made contact, sending it soaring out to right-center field and over the fence for her second home run of the season.
"The first pitch I let go was a really good pitch to hit," Burke said. "So I was just looking to attack anything that was close to the zone. That's what I did."
Burke's home run came with three of her grandparents in the stands, including one grandmother who made it out to The Jane for just the second time this season.
"Having that experience with all my family surrounding me is extra special," said Burke, a regular in the stands at The Jane herself during past Eugene Regional weekends.
The four-run cushion was more than enough for Elish, who lowered her season ERA to 0.96 with seven shutout innings. The hard-throwing right-hander scattered four hits and struck out 14, while walking none.
Anticipating a matchup Friday with Drake and its ace Nicole Newman — who came into the postseason second nationally with a 0.62 ERA, and earned the win Thursday over BYU in relief — UO coach Mike White held back his own ace, junior Megan Kleist. But that just meant UAlbany had to tangle with Elish, who has elevated herself to ace status as well this season; by lowering her ERA to 0.96, Elish matched Kleist's 2018 ERA exactly.
"We have two No. 1s out there," White said.
Elish faced the minimum through three innings Thursday, and the Ducks gave her a lead in the bottom of the third. Alexis Mack singled and stole second, then scored on a single by Sanders, who sat back and waited for a changeup clocked at 47 mph, then laced it past shortstop.
That was all the help Elish would need, on a day she never let a runner so far as second base. But the Ducks gave her more help in the fifth when Lilley doubled, then scored when ball four to Sanders got past the catcher.
Two batters later, White played a hunch: Rhodes was due up, but the last few days in batting practice he'd seen Burke consistently make clean contact.
"Lauren impressed me this week with her swing," he said. "So I was looking for an opportunity to bring her in."
As she walked to the plate, Burke experienced a range of emotions. She experienced even more after her pinch-hit homer, in the park where she grew up cheering for the Ducks.
"I was excited I got the opportunity to go in," she said. "I was just looking for a pitch to hit — and I got my pitch."
On Thursday, it was Lauren Burke's turn. And fairy tales don't have anything on the storybook moment she enjoyed.
Making her postseason debut for her hometown team, the freshman from Eugene's Marist High School blasted a pinch-hit, two-run homer in the fifth inning Thursday for the Ducks. That provided some cushion as No. 1 Oregon finished off a 4-0 victory over fourth-seeded UAlbany on the opening day of the NCAA Eugene Regional, backing shutout pitching by sophomore Miranda Elish before a sold-out crowd of 2,522 fans in Jane Sanders Stadium.
The Ducks (48-7) moved on to face No. 2 seed Drake on Friday at 3 p.m. UAlbany moved on to an elimination game against BYU at 5:30 p.m., with the winner facing another elimination game against the Oregon-Drake loser at 8 p.m. Drake beat BYU in Thursday's regional opener, 3-2.
Burke was called on to pinch hit with two out in the fifth, after Jenna Lilley had scored on a wild pitch for a 2-0 lead. Elish was in command against the America East champion Great Danes, but the Ducks were having trouble timing the off-speed stuff of UAlbany starter Celeste Verdolivo.
Against Burke, Verdolivo went with something hard: a riseball. But it didn't rise enough — until, that is, Burke made contact, sending it soaring out to right-center field and over the fence for her second home run of the season.
"The first pitch I let go was a really good pitch to hit," Burke said. "So I was just looking to attack anything that was close to the zone. That's what I did."
Burke's home run came with three of her grandparents in the stands, including one grandmother who made it out to The Jane for just the second time this season.
"Having that experience with all my family surrounding me is extra special," said Burke, a regular in the stands at The Jane herself during past Eugene Regional weekends.
The four-run cushion was more than enough for Elish, who lowered her season ERA to 0.96 with seven shutout innings. The hard-throwing right-hander scattered four hits and struck out 14, while walking none.
Anticipating a matchup Friday with Drake and its ace Nicole Newman — who came into the postseason second nationally with a 0.62 ERA, and earned the win Thursday over BYU in relief — UO coach Mike White held back his own ace, junior Megan Kleist. But that just meant UAlbany had to tangle with Elish, who has elevated herself to ace status as well this season; by lowering her ERA to 0.96, Elish matched Kleist's 2018 ERA exactly.
"We have two No. 1s out there," White said.
Elish faced the minimum through three innings Thursday, and the Ducks gave her a lead in the bottom of the third. Alexis Mack singled and stole second, then scored on a single by Sanders, who sat back and waited for a changeup clocked at 47 mph, then laced it past shortstop.
That was all the help Elish would need, on a day she never let a runner so far as second base. But the Ducks gave her more help in the fifth when Lilley doubled, then scored when ball four to Sanders got past the catcher.
Two batters later, White played a hunch: Rhodes was due up, but the last few days in batting practice he'd seen Burke consistently make clean contact.
"Lauren impressed me this week with her swing," he said. "So I was looking for an opportunity to bring her in."
As she walked to the plate, Burke experienced a range of emotions. She experienced even more after her pinch-hit homer, in the park where she grew up cheering for the Ducks.
"I was excited I got the opportunity to go in," she said. "I was just looking for a pitch to hit — and I got my pitch."
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Elish, Miranda (21-1)
L: Verdolivo, Celeste (16-3)
Batting:
2B: Lilley, Jenna 1 ; Camuso, Mia 1
HR: Burke, Lauren 1
RBI: Sanders, DJ 1 ; Burke, Lauren 2
SH: Mack, Alexis 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Lilley, Jenna 1 ; Mack, Alexis 1 ; Sanders, DJ 1 ; Burke, Lauren 1
SB: Mack, Alexis 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
1
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
ph/rf
AB
1
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
UT
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
RHP
/ SoftballIF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballIF
/ Softball
C
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