It really happened: Oregon faced Texas in an NCAA regional final at McCombs Field in Austin, Texas.
Oregon (40-17) won the opener 3-2 in eight innings on a walk-off RBI single by Terra McGowan that scored Haley Cruse to force a deciding game.
The No. 12 seed Longhorns (42-12), led by former UO coach Mike White and ex-Ducks Lauren Burke, Shannon Rhodes and Mary Iakopo, won the nightcap 1-0 to advance to play a Super Regional at No. 5 seed Oklahoma State next weekend.
Below are live updates of today’s games.
FINAL/7th: OREGON 0, TEXAS 1
Top: Rachel Cid (0-1, SAC) doubles off the top of the wall in right-center. Hanna Delgado (1-2) reaches on an infield single to short, runners on the corners. Alyssa Brito (0-2, GIDP) strikes out. Ariel Carlson (0-0, BB) grounds out to third, runner to second. Pinch hitter Maddie Hopper grounds out to third.
6th
Bottom: Brooke Yanez back in for Oregon. Mary Iakopo (0-2) flies out to right. MK Tedder grounds back to the pitcher. McKenzie Parker (0-1) strikes out.
Top: MK Tedder in RF for Texas. Haley Cruse (1-2) flies out to center. Allee Bunker (0-2) grounds out to second. Terra McGowan (1-2) grounds out to short.
5th
Bottom: JJ Smith (0-1) flies out to the warning track in left. Camille Corona (0-1) flies out to left. Janae Jefferson (0-2, 2 K) check-slap single to left. Shannon Rhodes (1-2, K) singles to shallow right-center, Jefferson to third. Rhodes steals second. Lauren Burke (1-2, K, R) grounds out to short.
Top: Ariel Carlson walks. Mya Felder (0-1) can’t get a bunt down and strikes out. Shaye Bowden (0-1) grounds into a 5-4-3 double play.
4th
Bottom: Ariel Carlson replaces Deijah Pangilinan and goes to right, Haley Cruse to center. Lauren Burke (0-1, K) singles an 0-2 pitch to right, Allee Bunker nearly makes an unreal catch. Snaps 0 for 8 stretch for Burke. Mary Iakopo (0-1) pops out to third. Mary Ellsworth (1-1) grounds out to second, Burke to second. Pinch hitter Jordyn Whitaker RBI single on 3-1 pitch to right, 1-0 Texas. McKenzie Parker reenters to run. Makenna Kliethermes relieves Samaria Diaz. Courtney Day (0-1, K) strikes out.
Top: Terra McGowan (0-1) taps a 1-2 pitch for an infield single and slides head-first and just barely beats the throw, incredibly close play. Rachel Cid (0-1) sacrifice bunt to move McGowan. Hanna Delgado (0-1) flare and opposite field single to left, runners on the corners. Alyssa Brito (0-1) rockets a grounder to third that Camille Corona grabs and tags McGowan and flips to first for the 5u-3 double play.
3rd
Bottom: Camille Corona grounds out to short. Janae Jefferson (0-1, K) strikes out, only the third time in her career she’s struck out twice in a game. Shannon Rhodes (1-1) strikes out. Samaria Diaz with six strikeouts.
Top: Mya Felder lines out to third. Shaye Bowden drops a bunt but can’t beat it out. Haley Cruse (0-1) beats out a chopper to short. Allee Bunker (0-1) flies out to left.
2nd
Bottom: Taylor Ellsworth singles through the left side. McKenzie Parker strikes out. Courtney Day strikes out. Samaria Diaz with 4th K. JJ Smith grounds out to third.
Top: Hanna Delgado flies out to left. Alyssa Brito lines out to second. Deijah Pangilinan grounds out to third, her bat clips the helmet of Mary Iakopo.
1st
Bottom: Janae Jefferson strikes out. Shannon Rhodes singles to center. Lauren Burke strikes out. Mary Iakopo pops out to short.
Top: Haley Cruse flies out to center. Allee Bunker grounds out to second. Terra McGowan reaches on an error by shortstop McKenzie Parker on a chopper. Rachel Cid grounds out to short.
—
Oregon lineup:
Haley Cruse RF
Allee Bunker 2B
Terra McGowan C
Rachel Cid 3B
Hanna Delgado LF
Alyssa Brito SS
Deijah Pangilinan CF
Mya Felder DP
Shaye Bowden 1B
Samaria Diaz P
Texas lineup
Janae Jefferson 2B
Shannon Rhodes CF
Lauren Burke LF
Mary Iakopo C
Taylor Ellsworth RF
McKenzie Parker SS
Courtney Day DH
JJ Smith 1B
Camille Corona 3B
Molly Jacobsen P
—
GAME 1
FINAL/8th: TEXAS 2, OREGON 3
Bottom: Haley Cruse (2-4) doubles to right. Allee Bunker (2-4, RBI) walks, Texas pitched around her with first open. Terra McGowan (2-4, K) walk-off RBI single to right to score Haley Cruse, 3-2 Oregon
Top: Lauren Burke (0-3, GIDP, K) works a walk. Mary Iakopo (1-3, K) sacrifice bunt, Burke to second. Taylor Ellsworth (1-3, K) grounds out to short, terrific throw while charging by Alyssa Brito, Burke to third. McKenzie Parker (0-3, K) strikes out. Brooke Yanez 8 Ks on 119 pitches.
7th
Bottom: Hanna Delgado (0-2, 2 K, HBP) battles back from 1-2 to 3-2 but grounds out to third. Alyssa Brito (1-3, HR, R, RBI) works a walk. Deijah Pangilinan (0-3, K) reaches on a fielder’s choice by pitcher Shealyn O’Leary, who goes to second but not in time. Hannah Galey pinch runs for Brito. Pinch hitter Mya Felder reaches on fielder’s choice 6-5. Shaye Bowden (1-2, BB) grounds out to the pitcher.
Top: McKenzie Parker (0-2, K) grounds out to the pitcher. Colleen Sullivan (0-2, 2 K) pops out to third. Pinch hitter Jordyn Whitaker singles to left on first pitch, tying run aboard. MK Tedder pinch runs. Pinch hitter Courtney Day RBI triple on a 1-2 pitch to dead center, Deijah Pangilinan at the wall but can’t catch it against the wall, 2-2. Corona reenters. Janae Jefferson (2-3, 2B, RBI) walks. Shannon Rhodes (1-3) flies out to left.
6th
Bottom: Kaitlyn Washington takes over in right field for Texas. Shaye Bowden (0-1, BB) takes a 3-2 pitch through the left side. Haley Cruse (2-3) pops up but nobody fields it and it goes foul but the extended at-bat doesn’t matter because she lines out to short. Allee Bunker (1-3, RBI) singles to left. Terra McGowan (2-3) strikes out. Rachel Cid (1-2, BB) flies out to left.
Top: Lauren Burke (0-2, GIDP) strikes out., seventh strikeout for Brooke Yanez. Mary Iakopo (0-2, K) singles through the left side. Taylor Ellsworth (1-2, K) lines out to Alyssa Brito, who flips to first to double off Iakopo for a 6u-3 double play. Huge momentum shifter.
5th
Bottom: Rachel Cid (1-2) walks. Hanna Delgado (0-1, K, HBP) strikes out. Alyssa Brito (1-2, HR, R, RBI) hits a fly ball to right and Taylor Ellsworth can’t catch it, error puts two on for Oregon. Deijah Pangilinan (0-2, K) lines out to short. Maddie Hooper (0-2, K) pops up to second.
Top: Colleen Sullivan (0-1, K) strikes out. Six straight retired by Brooke Yanez. JJ Smith (0-1) grounds out to the pitcher. Camille Corona (0-1, K) beats out a bunt single to third, replay shows Rachel Cid’s throw beats her to first by a step. Janae Jefferson (1-2) hits a 3-2 pitch to left center for an RBI double, 2-1 Oregon. Blown call a first proves costly. Shannon Rhodes (1-2) flies out to center.
4th
Bottom: Deijah Pangilinan (0-1) strikes out. Maddie Hopper (0-1) strikes out. Shaye Bowden (0-1) works a walk. Haley Cruse (1-2) loops a single over second base, two on. Ariel Carlson pinch runs for Bowden. Allee Bunker (0-2) loops an RBI single over Janae Jefferson, Cruse to third, 2-0 Oregon. Terra McGowan (2-2) flies out to just shy of the wall in dead left.
Top: Mary Iakopo (0-1, K) grounds out to short, another great play by Alyssa Brito. Taylor Ellsworth (1-1) strikes out, Brooke Yanez’s 4th. McKenzie Parker (0-1) strikes out. Brooke Yanez 5 Ks, 59 pitches.
3rd
Bottom: Haley Cruse (1-1) flies out to center. Allee Bunker (0-1) pops up to short. Terra McGowan (0-1) singles up the middle. Rachel Cid (0-1) singles to left, short hops to Lauren Burke for what could have been a big break for the Ducks. Hanna Delgado (0-1, K) hit by pitch, bases loaded. Alyssa Brito (1-1, HR, R, RBI) rips a line drive foul off Melyssa Lombardi, who’s fine, then flies out to center.
Top: Camille Corona strikes out. Janae Jefferson (0-1) drops a bunt single to the pitcher, there was no easy play to be had. Shannon Rhodes (1-1) reaches on a fielder’s choice 5-4. Lauren Burke (0-1, GIDP) grounds into fielder’s choice 4-6.
2nd
Bottom: Alyssa Brito launches a 3-1 pitch over the wall in left, 1-0 Oregon. 10th HR of the season for Brito and snaps a span of 29 games without a homer for her. Deijah Pangilinan grounds out to short. Maddie Hopper grounds out to short. Shaye Bowden pops out to foul territory in left.
Top: Mary Iakopo strikes out. Taylor Ellsworth gets aboard on a swinging bunt. McKenzie Parker reaches on a bunt, miscommunication between Brooke Yanez and Rachel Cid and neither can field it or attempt a throw, ruled an error on Cid. Colleen Sullivan strikes out. JJ Smith grounds out to second.
1st
Bottom: Haley Cruse singles to left, she’s 6 for 13 in the regional. Allee Bunker pops up to short. Terra McGowan chops a seeing-eye single through the left side. Rachel Cid pops a 3-1 pitch up to third. Hanna Delgado looks at strike 3. Ducks strand two.
Top: Janae Jefferson tries to drop a bunt, gets ahead 3-1, tries another bunt foul then lines out to Alyssa Brito, who makes a great diving catch. Shannon Rhodes beats out a throw by Alyssa Brito, who makes a nice snag and spins to throw to first but the throw is high and pulls Shaye Bowden off the bag. Lauren Burke grounds into a 4-6-3 double play.
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Texas lineup
Janae Jefferson 2B
Shannon Rhodes CF
Lauren Burke LF
Mary Iakopo C
Taylor Ellsworth RF
McKenzie Parker SS
Colleen Sullivan DH
JJ Smith 1B
Camille Corona 3B
Shealyn O’Leary P
Oregon lineup:
Haley Cruse RF
Allee Bunker 2B
Terra McGowan C
Rachel Cid 3B
Hanna Delgado LF
Alyssa Brito SS
Deijah Pangilinan CF
Maddie Hopper DP
Shaye Bowden 1B
Brooke Yanez P
