Ducks Fall to Arkansas in NCAA Regional
05/21/22 | Softball
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Makenna Kliethermes held SEC champion Arkansas scoreless through five innings but the Razorbacks scored six times in the sixth inning as the Ducks fell 6-2 Saturday in their second game of the NCAA Fayetteville Regional at Bogle Field.
Tehya Bird hit a pinch-hit, two-run home run in the seventh inning for the Ducks.
Oregon, 32-18, will face either Wichita State or Princeton in an elimination game late Saturday night.
How it Happened: Kliethermes kept the Arkansas batters off balance and struck out seven in five innings.
After two quick outs in the bottom of the first, Kliethermes had trouble getting a good grip on the ball as the rain intensified. She walked Taylor Ellsworth on a 3-2 pitch and then hit Danielle Gibson before the game was halted due to rain. When play resumed, Kliethermes struck out Hannah Gammill to get out of the first inning unscathed.
She struck out two more batters in a 1-2-3 second inning.
Oregon's highly ranked defense was on display in the third inning. Paige Sinicki dove to her right to snare a ball headed into left field and threw out Merlene Friedman at second base on her back. After Kliethermes' fourth strikeout of the game. Sinicki turned in another nifty play for a force out at second to end the inning.
Following a leadoff double by Gibson in the bottom the fourth inning, the Razorbacks loaded the bases on fielder's choice and a walk with two outs. But Kliethermes got Audrie LaValley to hit a ground ball Allee Bunker that ended the inning.
Kliethermes pitched a 1-2-3 fifth inning that included called third strikes on Arkansas' first two batters.
Arkansas finally got to Kliethermes in the sixth inning home runs from Linnie Maklin and Kacie Hoffman.
Noteworthy: Bunker had two of Oregon's six hits. It was her 15th multi-hit game of the season. … Bird's homer run was her third of the season. Sinicki, KK Humphreys and Rachel Cid also had hits for the Ducks. … The game was delayed two hours and 31 minutes in the bottom the first inning due to inclement weather. … The Ducks didn't commit an error for the 27th time this season. … Oregon has been error free in seven of its last eight games.
- www.GoDucks.com -
Tehya Bird hit a pinch-hit, two-run home run in the seventh inning for the Ducks.
Oregon, 32-18, will face either Wichita State or Princeton in an elimination game late Saturday night.
How it Happened: Kliethermes kept the Arkansas batters off balance and struck out seven in five innings.
After two quick outs in the bottom of the first, Kliethermes had trouble getting a good grip on the ball as the rain intensified. She walked Taylor Ellsworth on a 3-2 pitch and then hit Danielle Gibson before the game was halted due to rain. When play resumed, Kliethermes struck out Hannah Gammill to get out of the first inning unscathed.
She struck out two more batters in a 1-2-3 second inning.
Oregon's highly ranked defense was on display in the third inning. Paige Sinicki dove to her right to snare a ball headed into left field and threw out Merlene Friedman at second base on her back. After Kliethermes' fourth strikeout of the game. Sinicki turned in another nifty play for a force out at second to end the inning.
Following a leadoff double by Gibson in the bottom the fourth inning, the Razorbacks loaded the bases on fielder's choice and a walk with two outs. But Kliethermes got Audrie LaValley to hit a ground ball Allee Bunker that ended the inning.
Kliethermes pitched a 1-2-3 fifth inning that included called third strikes on Arkansas' first two batters.
Arkansas finally got to Kliethermes in the sixth inning home runs from Linnie Maklin and Kacie Hoffman.
Noteworthy: Bunker had two of Oregon's six hits. It was her 15th multi-hit game of the season. … Bird's homer run was her third of the season. Sinicki, KK Humphreys and Rachel Cid also had hits for the Ducks. … The game was delayed two hours and 31 minutes in the bottom the first inning due to inclement weather. … The Ducks didn't commit an error for the 27th time this season. … Oregon has been error free in seven of its last eight games.
- www.GoDucks.com -
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Delce (18-2)
L: Kliethermes, Makenna (10-6)

Batting:
HR: Bird, Tehya 1
RBI: Bird, Tehya 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Cid, Rachel 1 ; Bird, Tehya 1
SB: McGowan, Terra 1

Batting:
2B: McEwen 1 ; Gibson 1
HR: Malkin 1 ; Hoffmann 1
RBI: McEwen 2 ; Malkin 3 ; Hoffmann 1
SH: Friedman 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Sides 1 ; Gibson 1 ; Gammill 1 ; Malkin 1 ; Hoffmann 1 ; LaValley 1
HBP: Ellsworth 1 ; Gibson 1 ; LaValley 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
Players Mentioned
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