Stanford Softball Stunned by Oregon in Season-Ending Walk-Off

After winning their game against Oregon on Saturday, 14-1 in six innings, the Cardinal needed just one more win in order to advance to the Super Regionals to face a Liberty squad that had just made history, eliminating No. 1 Texas A&M.

The Cardinal dropped the first game against Oregon on Sunday, 15-5 in six innings, which led to a winner-take-all contest on Sunday night. The winner would advance, and the losing squad would see their season end.

The Cardinal jumped out to an early 4-0 lead on a Joie Economides first inning grand slam, and the momentum was firmly on their side early, but it seemed to shift when there was a scary moment in the top of the second inning.

Second baseman Taryn Kern made solid contact, pulling the ball to the right side of the diamond, and directly at first baseman Rylee McCoy. She misjudged the hard liner, and it ended up hitting her directly in the face before ricocheting towards second base. Kern ran it out and reached base, but she was visibly shaken.

After a few minutes, McCoy was able to get to her feet, though looking a little unstable, and walk off the field under her own power. From that moment on, it felt like the typical excitement coming from the Oregon bench had some meaning behind it.

When the Ducks came to bat in the bottom of the second, Alyssa Houston started the frame with a pair of walks, and after recording one out, Katie Flannery smacked a three-run shot to bring Oregon within one. It was the shot they needed at the exactly right time.

In the top of the third, Economides struck again, this time with a three-run blast of her own, giving her seven RBI through three innings, and Stanford a 7-3 lead. With her two home runs, she finished the season with 15, second on the team, and the third-most in a single season in program history. She's a freshman, so there will be plenty of time for her to continue to build up her own lore.

But Oregon kept on coming.

The Ducks quacked their way to a pair of runs in the bottom of the third, answering back to Stanford's answer in the top half, this time with Emma Cox hitting a two-run shot. The runner that was on for Cox was also allowed on via walk.

The score would remain 7-5 through the fourth and the top of the fifth, but Oregon would add a lone run in the bottom of the fifth inning on an error from third baseman Jade Berry. With runners at the corners, one out, and Houston battling a blister issue, freshman Zoe Prystajko came on in relief and immediately got a double play to keep Stanford ahead at 7-6.

Prystajko had started the first game on Sunday, tossing 70 pitches and allowing four runs (three earned) across 3.2 innings of work. The Cardinal's season was now up to her.

The bottom of the sixth began with a leadoff triple from Dezianna Patmon, but Prystajko struck out the next two batters and looked like she might get out of it. Instead, Kai Luschar tapped one in front of the batter's box and was able to scramble to first. The runner was also able to come home and tie the game at 7-7.

Stanford threatened to add on in the top of the seventh, with runners at second and third and two away, but Oregon brought in their closer, Elise Sokolsky, who got Economides to ground out to third to keep the score where it was.

In the bottom of the seventh, Prystajko got the first out, then allowed a single, intentionally walked Cox, and Patmon, who had scored the tying run, ended up walking this one off with a three-run homer.

Stanford's season has ended with the 10-7 loss to Oregon.

Kudos should really be given to Oregon reliever Staci Chambers, who was able to shut down the Cardinal offense, going 4.1 innings, giving up two hits, one walk, and striking out a pair.

In a big game like this, when the starter gets rocked, it's important to have someone that can settle things down and keep the score close to give your team a chance. Chambers did just that, and the Ducks are moving on because of the work Chambers put in on Sunday night.

The Cardinal ends the season with program records for runs scored (448) and home runs (101), as well as the NCAA softball single-game attendance record with 13,207 fans at Stanford Stadium for the April 19 game against California.