NCAA softball: Stanford’s season ends in walkoff loss to former Pac-12 rival
The Stanford softball team got two home runs and seven RBI from freshman first baseman Joie Economides in the deciding game of the Eugene Regional against 16th-seeded Oregon.
But it wasn’t enough to put the Cardinal in the NCAA Super Regionals.
The Ducks chipped away at a four-run Stanford lead and tied the game in the bottom of the sixth. Then, with runners on the corners and one out, senior Dezianna Patmon hit the first pitch she saw from freshman left-hander Zoe Prystajko deep over the left-center field wall to give Oregon a 10-7 walkoff win.
Paige Sinicki hit a one-out single in the seventh, stole second base and advanced to third on a throwing error, and Emma Cox was intentionally walked before Patmon hit the next pitch over the wall in left field to give the Ducks their first lead.
Most Stanford players stood frozen while watching the ball sail into the netting at Jane Sanders Stadium.
Patmon finished the game 2-for-3 with three RBI and three runs as Oregon (50-8) advanced to face Liberty, which shocked No. 1 seed Texas A&M 6-5 in the deciding game of the Bryan-College Station Regional on Sunday. Their best-of-three Super Regional begins in Eugene this week.
Stanford (42-12) hammered Oregon 14-1 on Saturday, and needed to win just one of its two games Sunday against former Pac-12 to advance to the Super Regionals for the fourth straight year. But the Cardinal were blown out 15-5 by the Ducks in the first game, which lasted just six innings.
In the second game, Economides hit a grand slam in the first inning and a three-run homer in the third as the Cardinal took a 7-3 lead. Oregon clawed back, scoring twice in the bottom of the third and once in the fifth and sixth innings to tie the game.
Patmon hit a lead-off triple in the sixth and scored on a two-out single by Kai Luschar to make it 7-7.
Stanford was held to just two hits after Economides’ second home run as Oregon left-hander Staci Chambers relieved starter Lyndsey Greir and threw 4 1/3 scoreless innings. Elise Sokolsky recorded the final out in the top of the seventh inning.
Prystajko was charged with four earned runs in two innings, and starter Alyssa Houston allowed six earned runs in 4 1/3 innings before she had to come out of the game with what appeared to be a blister on her pitching hand.
Cal loses to Oklahoma
Cal’s season came to an end Sunday as Ailana Agbayani and Kasidi Pickering each belted three-run home runs and three pitchers combined on a two-hitter to lead second-seeded Oklahoma to a 12-1 win in five innings in the Norman Regional final.
The Sooners are seeking their fifth straight national championship.
Agbayani’s blast capped a four-run second inning and was the second of four home runs for the Sooners (48-7). Pickering’s homer in the eight-run fourth inning gave her 101 RBIs for the season.
Agbayani, Pickering and three other Oklahoma players each had two hits.
Miranda De Nava (13-6) took the loss for the Golden Bears (37-21), who lost 11-2 to the Sooners on Saturday. Lagi Quiroga scored Cal’s lone run, as she raced around the bases in the second inning after a Mia Phillips base hit was followed by a Sooners throwing error.
Oklahoma will host a Super Regional next weekend, facing Alabama in the best-of-3 series.