Oregon softball advances to Super Regional with win over Arkansas
For the first time since 2018, the Oregon softball program has secured a trip to the Super Regional round of the NCAA tournament.
The No. 19 Ducks (38-15) trounced host Arkansas, 14-4, at the Fayetteville Regional at Bogle Park on Sunday to advance to their first Super Regional of the Melyssa Lombardi era.
Oregon’s triumph in Fayetteville comes one season after the Razorbacks defeated them twice in as many days to end their season. This time around, the Ducks won all three of their Regional games — with the final two victories coming in decisive fashion over Arkansas.
Stevie Hansen (20-6) tossed a complete game and held the Razorbacks to four runs on eight hits over 5.0 innings of work. The Ducks’ ace ran into trouble in the third inning but had an otherwise strong day against an Arkansas team that hung two crucial runs on her when the two teams met last postseason.
Throughout two Regional outings, Hansen surrendered just six runs in 10.0 innings against a pair of quality opponents in Arkansas and Notre Dame.
Oregon right fielder Ariel Carlson went 3-for-4 with two home runs and seven RBI and has now driven in 37 runs on the season.
Ducks’ first baseman KK Humphreys lifted a three-run homer in the first inning to cap off a four-run frame that gave the Ducks control of the game from the get-go.
Oregon entered the bottom of the fifth holding a 5-4 lead and in need of a few insurance runs. They got that and more, scoring nine runs during a frame in which they batter around and sent nine total batters to the plate.
During her first plate appearance of the inning, Carlson lifted a two-run homer to push the Ducks’ lead to 7-4.
When she stepped up to the plate again later in the inning, she crushed a grand slam to left field and put the run rule into effect, sending Oregon to the Super Regional.
The Ducks face Oklahoma State in the Super Regional round after the Cowboys ousted Nebraska at the Stillwater Regional on Sunday.
The last time Oregon played in a Super Regional in 2018, the Mike White-led Ducks took two of three games from Kentucky to advance to the College World Series.
There, the Ducks won their first game over Arizona State before falling to Washington and Florida State in a span of two days, ending their season.
