Oregon's Postseason Ends With Two Losses to South Carolina

Sunday, May 20

Columbia, S.C.

10 a.m.

University of Oregon

44-18

South Carolina

37-24

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
South Carolina	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	2	6	0
Oregon	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	2

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Oregon	1	0	1	0	1	0	0	3	6	2
South Carolina	0	0	0	0	0	3	1	4	7	3

Photo by: GoDucks.com

Oregon's Postseason Ends With Two Losses to South Carolina

05/20/07 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: GoDucks.com

COLUMBIA, S.C. ? South Carolina, the No. 4 overall seed in the Columbia Regional, needed to defeat Oregon twice on Sunday to advance to the Super Regionals, and in front of a pro-Gamecock crowd at Beckham Field, South Carolina did just that.

The Gamecocks defeated Oregon 2-0 in game No. 1 to force a game two, and in the second, came back from a three-run deficit to defeat the Ducks, 4-3, in the bottom of the seventh on a walk off RBI single from Jessica Josker.

South Carolina rallied from a three-run deficit in the bottom of the sixth, when with two outs on the scoreboard, South Carolina's Ashton Payne hit a two-run triple and Lindsay Walker produced an RBI single to tie the game at 3-3.

The Gamecocks (38-24) advance to the Super Regionals and will play 2006 College World Series runner-up and No. 2 overall seed in the 2007 tourney, Northwestern (49-11). The Wildcats won the Evanston Regional in three games this weekend ? topping Illinois State 4-1 in its final game on Sunday.

It seemed as if Oregon second baseman Suzie Barnes would single-handedly will Oregon (44-19) to victory.

The fourth-year senior led off the second game with a triple down the left field line and was brought home by sophomore Sari-Jane Jenkins' single back up the middle.

Barnes again worked her magic in the top of the third. The Lake Forest Park, Wash., native led off the inning with a walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice from Jenkins. Jenn Salling, who was without a hit in the first game, dropped down a bunt and was safe at first to move Barnes to third. Barnes then scored on a sacrifice fly from Ann Marie Topps.

In the top of the fifth, Barnes scored Oregon's third run on a four-base error. She struck out, but South Carolina catcher McKenna Hughes dropped the ball and Barnes took off down the first base line. Hughes' throw was wide at first and traveled all the way right field. Barnes, the quickest player on Oregon's roster moved around the bases and in a play at the plate, beat the throw and scored the Ducks' third run of the game.

Junior pitcher Alicia Cook started all four games of the tourney, pitching complete games in the first three. In Sunday's second game after giving up three runs, she was relieved by sophomore Melissa Rice (21-14). The sophomore took the loss after allowing the game-winning run ? unearned.

Melissa Hendon (20-17) pitched two complete games for the Gamecocks to advance South Carolina on.

Game One:

South Carolina kept it postseason hopes alive on the back of pitcher Melissa Hendon as the Gamecocks forced a second game with a 2-0 victory. Hendon held the Ducks scoreless on two hits.

Oregon left five on base during the game, and junior Alicia Cook took the loss after allowing two runs on six hits. The Gamecocks scored both runs in the third with Jessica Josker and Lindsay Walker picking up back-to-back RBIs.