Oregon opens NCAA Softball Regional with a run-rule win over Boston University
Nearly perfect pitching and more than enough hitting allowed the Oregon softball team to put an early end to its NCAA Tournament opener.
Elise Sokolsky threw a shutout and the Ducks had two home runs among their 10 hits as they defeated Boston University 8-0 in five innings Friday in the first game of the Norman (Oklahoma) Regional at Love's Field.
Sokolsky (9-3) allowed just two hits and one walk, Vallery Wong and Tehya Bird hit homers in a four-run second inning, and Ariel Carlson knocked in the game-ending run with a sacrifice fly during a three-run fifth.
With the win, the Ducks (29-19) will play either host and No. 2-overall seed Oklahoma or Cleveland State on Saturday at noon. Those two teams are playing their first-round game Friday night.
Wong got Oregon going with a solo homer in the second and Bird followed later in the inning with a two-run homer that scored KK Humphreys to put the Ducks up 3-0. Carlson drove in one more with a double — her second of the game — to bring home Kai Luschar.
Paige Sinicki scored in the fourth on throwing error after Emma Kauf had grounded into a fielder’s choice.
The Ducks closed out the game in the fifth when Wong and Katie Flannery scored on a bases-loaded fielder’s choice by Bird. Wong came in from third on the play, and Flannery crossed on a throwing error as Oregon went up 7-0.
Three batters later, Carlson launched a fly ball to right field that scored Humphreys from third for the run-rule win.
Carlson finished 2-for-3 with two doubles and two RBIs. Wong and Luschar also had two hits each and Bird drove in three runs.
Sokolsky allowed one single in each of the first and fourth innings. She also recorded three strikeouts.
The loss was the first for the Terriers (52-5-1) since April 2 — a stretch of 26-straight games. They had won 11 in a row. On Saturday they'll play the loser of tonight's game between Oklahoma and Cleveland State.
UPDATE: The Sooners defeated Cleveland State 9-0 in six innings Friday night, setting up a game against the Ducks at 12 p.m. Saturday. The winner will advance to play Sunday, the loser will take on the winner of Saturday's 2:30 p.m. game between Cleveland State and Boston University at 5 p.m.
Follow Chris Hansen on X @chansen_RG or email at chansen@registerguard.com.
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Oregon open NCAA Softball Regional with run-rule win over BU
