Friday, May 18
Eugene, OR
3:00 PM
University of Oregon
49-7
5
vs
0
Drake
44-11
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2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Drake
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
Oregon
1
0
0
1
3
0
X
5
9
0
Photo by: Eric Evans Photography/ University of Oregon
Different Day, Same Script
05/18/18 | Softball
Megan Kleist came within one out of a perfect game, Oregon's speed gave the Ducks an early lead and Lauren Burke added some cushion with another pinch-hit homer in Friday's 5-0 regionals win over Drake.
EUGENE, Ore. — The Oregon softball team has hit on a winning formula early in this postseason. And it has the Ducks one win away from advancing to the Super Regional round.
For the second day in a row, the UO softball team on Friday got a shutout from one of its ace pitchers, an early lead thanks to speed on the basepaths and insurance from a pinch-hit homer by freshman Lauren Burke. A day after that formula helped the Ducks win their Eugene Regional opener against Albany, they used the same recipe to beat Drake, 5-0, and set up a potential regional-clinching game Saturday at 4 p.m.
Oregon had to await the results of two more games later Friday to find out its opponent Saturday. But through two games, the competition hasn't seemed to matter much. (UPDATE: Drake eliminated BYU on Friday night, earning a rematch with the Ducks on Saturday.)
"I've never lost a shutout," said UO coach Mike White, now 26-0 in nine regional appearances with the Ducks. "So when you throw a zero up there, you're pretty good."
On Friday, that zero was provided by junior Megan Kleist. One day after sophomore Miranda Elish struck out 14 in a 4-0 win over Albany, Kleist came within one batter of a perfect game, allowing only a single with two out in the seventh and striking out 11 with no walks.
Typically a home crowd will rise to its feet with two strikes on the last batter of the game. In this case, the Jane Sanders Stadium faithful were on their feet when Macy Johnson walked to the plate with two out in the seventh; she slapped a single to short right-center, breaking up the perfect game. Kleist recovering to retire the next hitter and end it.
"It kind of sucks, obviously," said Kleist, who also threw a one-hitter when two-time defending NCAA champion Oklahoma played at The Jane this spring. "You want to have that. But that's what good teams do: they capitalize on mistakes. I happened to make a mistake, and they hit it."
Kleist was one of two elite pitchers to start Friday's game. Like Kleist, Drake starter Nicole Newman entered Friday as one of seven pitchers across the NCAA with an ERA under 1.00 (Elish was another). But unlike Kleist, Newman endured her worst start of the season. She allowed a season-high four earned runs, the last two on Burke's second dramatic pinch homer in two days.
Oregon (49-7) led 2-0 in the fifth when Gwen Svekis walked with one out. Burke again was called upon to hit for Shannon Rhodes, and again she lined a missile over the fence in right-center for a 4-0 lead.
"I was saying to the person next to me, 'I dare her to do it again,' " Kleist said. "And she did."
"I'm seeing the ball well," said Burke, the local kid who attended Marist High in Eugene. "I think through practice we've prepared for what we're going to see. In Pac-12 play we've seen the riseballs, we've seen the changeups, so we've seen the pitching that we're going to face. I'm not necessarily surprised, but I'm excited."
Burke's homer chased Newman. Kailee Smith came on in relief, and promptly allowed a solo homer by another UO freshman, Mary Iakopo.
All that offense was more than enough to back Kleist. She struck out at least two hitters in every inning between the second and the sixth, mixing a drop ball that sat around 67 mph, a low riseball and a changeup that clocked in around 53. With that arsenal all working, Kleist was her typical model of composure in the circle, even through the emotions of the seventh inning.
"I wouldn't really say I was too excited or too down," said Kleist (21-5). "I think that's one of my strengths as a pitcher — I try to stay level. I think that's where I have my success, when I don't get too down, or too high."
Kleist used three groundballs to get through the first, before the Ducks staked her to a quick lead. Jenna Lilley singled to lead off the bottom of the first, went to second on a walk and scored on a Rhodes pop fly behind second base that fell in safe when the backpedaling infielder's feet got tied up. Oregon's speed was a factor again in the fourth when Haley Cruse hit a two-out single, then scored all the way from first on a Lilley line-drive double to right-center.
Albany coach Chris Cannata on Thursday called Oregon's speed "what kills you out there," and it factored into both of the Ducks' early leads Thursday and Friday, before Burke provided insurance with her pinch-hit heroics.
"I think it makes people nervous," White said. "We used to play against Arizona when they had so much speed and it was like, what are they going to do next?"
As for Oregon, and what the Ducks will do next? So far in regionals it's been a familiar script, with one more scene to write Saturday.
For the second day in a row, the UO softball team on Friday got a shutout from one of its ace pitchers, an early lead thanks to speed on the basepaths and insurance from a pinch-hit homer by freshman Lauren Burke. A day after that formula helped the Ducks win their Eugene Regional opener against Albany, they used the same recipe to beat Drake, 5-0, and set up a potential regional-clinching game Saturday at 4 p.m.
Oregon had to await the results of two more games later Friday to find out its opponent Saturday. But through two games, the competition hasn't seemed to matter much. (UPDATE: Drake eliminated BYU on Friday night, earning a rematch with the Ducks on Saturday.)
"I've never lost a shutout," said UO coach Mike White, now 26-0 in nine regional appearances with the Ducks. "So when you throw a zero up there, you're pretty good."
On Friday, that zero was provided by junior Megan Kleist. One day after sophomore Miranda Elish struck out 14 in a 4-0 win over Albany, Kleist came within one batter of a perfect game, allowing only a single with two out in the seventh and striking out 11 with no walks.
Typically a home crowd will rise to its feet with two strikes on the last batter of the game. In this case, the Jane Sanders Stadium faithful were on their feet when Macy Johnson walked to the plate with two out in the seventh; she slapped a single to short right-center, breaking up the perfect game. Kleist recovering to retire the next hitter and end it.
"It kind of sucks, obviously," said Kleist, who also threw a one-hitter when two-time defending NCAA champion Oklahoma played at The Jane this spring. "You want to have that. But that's what good teams do: they capitalize on mistakes. I happened to make a mistake, and they hit it."
Kleist was one of two elite pitchers to start Friday's game. Like Kleist, Drake starter Nicole Newman entered Friday as one of seven pitchers across the NCAA with an ERA under 1.00 (Elish was another). But unlike Kleist, Newman endured her worst start of the season. She allowed a season-high four earned runs, the last two on Burke's second dramatic pinch homer in two days.
Oregon (49-7) led 2-0 in the fifth when Gwen Svekis walked with one out. Burke again was called upon to hit for Shannon Rhodes, and again she lined a missile over the fence in right-center for a 4-0 lead.
"I was saying to the person next to me, 'I dare her to do it again,' " Kleist said. "And she did."
"I'm seeing the ball well," said Burke, the local kid who attended Marist High in Eugene. "I think through practice we've prepared for what we're going to see. In Pac-12 play we've seen the riseballs, we've seen the changeups, so we've seen the pitching that we're going to face. I'm not necessarily surprised, but I'm excited."
Burke's homer chased Newman. Kailee Smith came on in relief, and promptly allowed a solo homer by another UO freshman, Mary Iakopo.
All that offense was more than enough to back Kleist. She struck out at least two hitters in every inning between the second and the sixth, mixing a drop ball that sat around 67 mph, a low riseball and a changeup that clocked in around 53. With that arsenal all working, Kleist was her typical model of composure in the circle, even through the emotions of the seventh inning.
"I wouldn't really say I was too excited or too down," said Kleist (21-5). "I think that's one of my strengths as a pitcher — I try to stay level. I think that's where I have my success, when I don't get too down, or too high."
Kleist used three groundballs to get through the first, before the Ducks staked her to a quick lead. Jenna Lilley singled to lead off the bottom of the first, went to second on a walk and scored on a Rhodes pop fly behind second base that fell in safe when the backpedaling infielder's feet got tied up. Oregon's speed was a factor again in the fourth when Haley Cruse hit a two-out single, then scored all the way from first on a Lilley line-drive double to right-center.
Albany coach Chris Cannata on Thursday called Oregon's speed "what kills you out there," and it factored into both of the Ducks' early leads Thursday and Friday, before Burke provided insurance with her pinch-hit heroics.
"I think it makes people nervous," White said. "We used to play against Arizona when they had so much speed and it was like, what are they going to do next?"
As for Oregon, and what the Ducks will do next? So far in regionals it's been a familiar script, with one more scene to write Saturday.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Kleist, Megan (21-5)
L: Newman,Nicole (22-4)
Base Running:
HBP: Pena,Taryn 1
Batting:
2B: Lilley, Jenna 1
HR: Burke, Lauren 1 ; Iakopo, Mary 1
RBI: Lilley, Jenna 1 ; Rhodes, Shannon 1 ; Burke, Lauren 2 ; Iakopo, Mary 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Lilley, Jenna 1 ; Svekis, Gwen 1 ; Burke, Lauren 1 ; Iakopo, Mary 1 ; Cruse, Haley 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
1
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
UT
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
RHP
/ SoftballIF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
C
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