Clutch Performance Keeps UO Season Alive

Saturday, June 3

Oklahoma City, Okla.

11:30 AM

University of Oregon

53-7

Baylor

48-15

Oregon

Baylor

Photo by: Eric Evans/GoDucks.com

06/03/17 | Softball

Box Score

Oregon came up with several clutch hits, and sophomore all-American Megan Kleist escaped a bases loaded jam in the seventh inning of a 7-4 win over Baylor, setting up a game against LSU later Saturday (6:45 p.m. PT, ESPN).

By: Rob Moseley

OKLAHOMA CITY — When Megan Kleist jogged to the mound to protect a three-run lead with the bases loaded and nobody out Saturday evening against Baylor, Oregon softball coach Mike White wasn't sure what to expect.

It had been nearly four months since Kleist's last truly effective relief outing for the Ducks, and about 48 hours since Kleist took the loss as the starter in Oregon's Women's College World Series opener against Washington. On the other hand, with freshmen Miranda Elish and Maggie Balint having struggled to protect the Ducks' lead Saturday in an elimination game against the Bears, White considered Kleist and her three-pitch mix of dropball, change-up and riseball his best option with Oregon's season on the line.

"Megan's had some periods throughout this year where she hasn't pitched her best, and I've continued to throw her out there," White said of his sophomore ace and second-team all-American. "She's resilient, and she's bounced back. That was my theory."

Score one for coach's intuition.

With the bases loaded and the heart of Baylor's order coming to bat, Kleist struck out the Bears' No.3 and No. 4 hitters, then coaxed a groundout to keep Oregon's season alive in a 7-4 victory. The Ducks used their biggest offensive performance ever at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium, plus Kleist's clutch inning, to move on to a second elimination game later Saturday, against Louisiana State (6:45 p.m. PT, ESPN).

A day after being unable to come up with timely hits against the Huskies in a 3-1 loss, the Ducks scored in four different innings Saturday to match their run total from their previous seven WCWS games combined. Mia Camuso had a pair of two-run doubles and Alexis Mack scored three times for Oregon.

"I thought, from the get-go, we had intent and purpose with every pitch," said UO junior Jenna Lilley, who had an RBI double in the second and tripled in the sixth. "Especially on offense, I think that was the main difference."

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Third-seeded Oregon (53-7) was the designated visiting team Saturday, and ran into immediate trouble against the 15th-seeded Bears, who upset Pac-12 champion Arizona in the Super Regional round. Elish (above)) got the start for the Ducks and threw seven straight balls to open the game. But after a mound visit from White, with both Balint and Kleist sent to the bullpen to get loose, Elish (12-0) set down the next three batters in order.

"I needed to keep my heart rate between 60 and 80, and that's what Coach White came out and said," Elish said. "I needed to trust my defense behind me. It's a new environment, and now that I think all the freshmen know it, we're ready to keep it rolling."

The UO offense seemed to take take momentum from Elish's recovery, and got rolling in the next half-inning. Looking to breakout out their scrappy seventh-inning demeanor much earlier than normal Saturday, the Ducks first got on the board when Sammie Puentes (below) singled, stole second, went to third on a fielder's choice and scored on a wild pitch. Lilley followed with a double to score Lauren Lindvall, and Oregon led 2-0 in the second.

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In the top of the third, following a rain delay of more than an hour while Baylor was hitting in the second, the Ducks tacked on two more thanks to Camuso's first two-run double of the day. Oregon made it 5-0 in the fifth when Mack singled and stole second, then scored on a single by Shannon Rhodes, the Ducks' fifth two-out RBI of the game.

Elish hadn't allowed a hit to that point, but Baylor showed some scrappiness of its own in the bottom of the fifth. The Bears used two infield hits — one resulting from a questionable call at second base when Oregon appeared to have recorded an out — and two fielder's choice plays plus a hit-by-pitch to manufacture three runs. Cleanup hitter Shelby Friudenberg made it 5-4 with an RBI single.

Oregon added some insurance in the top of the seventh inning, on Camuso's second two-run double. In his pregame talk with the team at breakfast, White spoke of wanting to see his hitters "hunt a pitch, and when they make a mistake, kill it." Camuso obliged later in the day, twice.

"For us, I felt like I was attacking every pitch that was coming," Camuso said. "If it's a ball, take it, but on every pitch I had intent and purpose."

The 7-4 lead looked in peril when Balint allowed a walk and two singles to open the seventh. On came Kleist, whose last spotless relief outing was back on Feb. 17 against Kent State. In the interim she'd thrown four times in relief, allowing six earned runs in nine total innings.

But this would be a different outcome, saving the Ducks' season for at least a few more hours.

"It was a tough part of the order coming up," White said. "But as usual, when our backs were against the wall, we tend to perform our best. And that's what Megan did in that situation."