Dezianna Patmon does it again: Oregon takes first Super Regional game on walk-off hit

EUGENE, Ore. — After last weekend's regional ended in magical fashion on Dezianna Patmon's walk-off, three-run home run to beat Stanford, the No. 16 Oregon Ducks found themselves in a similar situation on Friday night. Oregon and Liberty battled into extra innings with the score locked at 2-2 before Patmon came to the plate with two on in the bottom of the eighth. Just like on Sunday night, she would end things with one swing, driving a single up the middle to plate Kedre Luschar for the walk-off, 3-2 win. 

"We don't always know exactly how we're going to win, what the game is going to look like," head coach Melyssa Lombardi said. "But we know that we're going to find a way."

After Savannah Woodard was retired to lead off the game, Conference USA Player of the Year Rachel Roupe drove a double into right-center before taking third on a wild pitch. Oregon starter Lyndsey Grein walked designated player Alyssa Henault to put runners on the corners with two outs before the Flames attempted a double steal that the Ducks (52-8) read perfectly. Catcher Emma Cox threw down to shortstop Paige Sinicki when she saw Henault running before Sinicki fired back home when Roupe broke for the plate, where Cox and third baseman Katie Flannery would catch her in a rundown to end the inning.

Kai Luschar beat out an infield single to lead off the bottom of the frame for Oregon before she was quickly moved up to third when her sister Kedre walked and Stefini Ma'ake grounded into a fielder's choice. Sinicki dropped down a perfect squeeze bunt as Luschar raced to the plate, where she was called safe. But after a review, the umpires made the controversial decision to reverse the call on the field, ruling that Luschar had left the base early and was instead out, as Sinicki — who had reached second in the chaos, was reset to the batter's box. While Luschar's foot appeared to be on the base when the pitch was released, a closer look in slow-motion showed her lift it just slightly as the pitcher was in motion before stepping back down to take off towards home.

Sinicki nearly made the matter irrelevant four pitches later, lifting the 1-2 offering from Liberty's Elena Escobar deep into left field, but Coburg-native and former Oregon State Beaver Paige Doerr leapt at the wall, reaching up to steal a home run to end the inning.

Grein worked around a two-out walk in a scoreless top of the second, receiving some help from her defense as Kedre Luschar made a full-extension grab in center for the second out. A walk and a single led off the third for Liberty (50-14) as Lombardi decided to make an early pitching change, calling on Elise Sokolsky to relieve Grein. With runners on first and second, she quickly forced a grounder to Flannery at third, who dove for it, touching the base as she stood up before firing across the infield for the double play.

"We've been talking all year. In order for us to do good things, we've got to have a staff," Lombardi said. "To see them work together it was a great time."

An error by Byrum at short allowed Ayanna Shaw to reach first with one down in the bottom of the inning before Kai Luschar ripped her first triple of the year into right-center to plate a run. It was Luschar's first extra-base hit since March 9 against Florida State, and a rarity to see the Ducks' slapping leadoff hitter get to her pull-side power. Two batters later, Ma'ake softly lofted a single to left as Luschar came home to make it 2-0 Oregon.

"I really don't know if I was trying to do a power slap in the moment," Luschar said of her RBI triple. "Sometimes if I just have a good enough hold on the pitches there, I'll just let it rip, and it just happened."

The top of Oregon's lineup went down one-two-three in the bottom of the fifth to bring the Flames' offense back out. Doerr singled back up the middle to give Liberty a leadoff base runner before a sacrifice bunt and a passed ball moved her up to third with two outs. The Flames decided to pinch-hit Alexia Carasquillo for Byrum, battling to a full-count before coming through with a single to left to bring Doerr home from third and tie the game. Staci Chambers entered for Sokolsky in the circle, quickly forcing a groundout to Jones to end the inning.

"As a team, we've been talking about one pitch at a time, one pitch focus," Chambers said. "That's what I'm trying to do. I'm trying to get caught up in each singular pitch and trying to win every pitch."

Chambers came back out for the top of the seventh after the Ducks were retired quickly in the sixth, freezing Roupe on the outside corner to lead off Oregon's first one-two-three inning in the circle. With two down in the bottom of the seventh, Kai Luschar slapped a single to left to put the winning run on base, but when she tried to steal second, she was called out once again after a review showed her foot leave the base ever-so-slightly before taking off. 

"We're gonna look back on film and see what's going on," Luschar said. "It'll be fixed tomorrow."

With two down in the top of the eighth, Rachel Craine singled to give Liberty a base runner, but when the Flames tried to substitute, they failed to correctly report it, resulting in an automatic inning-ending out.

Kedre Luschar came back to the plate to lead things off for the Ducks in extras, driving a single up the middle to put the winning run on base. She stole second before taking third on a deep flyout off the bat of Ma'ake to center. Sinicki then walked to bring the hero of Sunday night's game, Patmon, to the plate. After taking the first pitch and whiffing at the second, Patmon delivered a single up the middle on the third offering from Escobar, bringing Luschar home to walk off the game. 

"I had grounded out three times before, so we talk about our process a lot and not really focusing on outcomes," Patmon said. "Before that inning started, I went up to Coach [Sam] Marder and we discussed what adjustments needed to be made. We have belief in each other and, honestly, just confidence. Confidence is key. If you believe, then it's gonna happen."

Now in command of this best-of-three series, the Ducks will have a chance to punch their ticket to Oklahoma City on Saturday. First pitch of Game 2 will come at 4 PM from The Jane, airing on ESPN.