Ducks Headed to Championship Game after 8-4 Victory Over South Carolina
With the win, the No. 2 seed Ducks
(44-17) will have a rematch with South Carolina on Sunday in the Regional championship
game scheduled for
South Carolina defeated N.C. State 4-3 to advance to the championship game.
"We are really happy
to be sitting here as the winner because that was a great game,” head coach
Kathy Arendsen said. “We have great respect for
“Every other regional we
have been in since I have been at
"I am incredibly proud
of them, I think we are incredibly difficult to beat twice. So that obviously
gives us an advantage. It's so key our speed gets on. Our first two hitters get
on and good things happen and that's the way it had been all year. Suzie and
Sari getting on brings up Jenn with two runners on where she excels in an RBI
opportunity, and obviously that cashed in for us."
Alicia Cook (23-4) picked up her
second win of the weekend, allowing four runs on 12 hits. It was her 22nd
complete game of the year.
Cook was also helped out by her
defense, when the infield turned a
After Topps’ home run gave
In the top of the seventh Oregon
added three insurance runs when freshman Neena Bryant’s one-out, stand-up
double off the wall in right center brought Jenn Salling and Sari-Jane Jenkins
across the plate. Senior first baseman Kristi Leiter then added her second RBI
in as many days, bringing home Bryant with a single to right field.
"All
year we've been struggling to have timely hitting, and I think we are finally
making adjustments now,” Jenkins said.
"We came up big. A lot
of hitters came up big at times. Kristi Leiter had some key hits. Ann Marie came
up big. Hopefully we can keep doing that. I think we have yet to reach our peak
but good things are happening so we are going to keep pressing on."
The Gamecocks (35-24) made things
interesting after Lindsay Walker dropped a two-run single into shallow center field
with two outs against her in the seventh.
Four
In the first Oregon took the lead
for good, as Salling had runners at second and third with two strikes against
her when she lined a two-run single through the right side, picking up multiple
RBIs for the second consecutive game and giving Oregon a 2-0 lead.
Salling was able to pick up the RBIs
after the speedy Suzie Barnes reached first on an infield single and stole
second, followed by Jenkins, who improved her hitting streak to eight games and
added her third stolen base of the Regionals.
"We have always stressed
throughout the year to score first, to score in the first inning," Salling said. "Whenever we
are visitors we try to get the momentum going."
QUACK TRACKS:
Oregon’s 44th victory is the most for the program in Kathy
Arendsen’s five-year tenure...it also ties for her career high, set at
Mississippi State in 2000...this is the first time in the history of the Ducks in
10 postseason appearances, that they have advanced to the championship game in
just two games...Oregon advanced to the regional championship game in 1998, 2000,
2003, 2004 and 2005, but did not move onto the Super Regionals...Sari-Jane
Jenkins has had multiple-hit games in Oregon’s last five contests...the Ducks are
4-1 in that span...Neena Bryant hit her 13th double of the season on
Saturday, Kristi Leiter hit her 12th...Barnes stole her team-leading
41st base of the year, she now has 71 in her career ? needing one to
tie the all-time record owned by Kim Manning...Jenkins stole her 37th
base of the year...Salling has 73 RBIs this year, and four in the last two games.
