Oregon’s season is over.
The Ducks could not generate any offense against Oklahoma State ace Kelly Maxwell, who struck out eight in a two-hit shutout to lead the No. 6 seed Cowgirls in a 9-0 win in Game 2 of a super regional Friday afternoon at Cowgirl Stadium in Stillwater.
Oklahoma State (46-14) advances to its fourth straight Women’s College World Series, where it will open play against the winner of No. 3 seed Florida State and No. 14 seed Georgia.
The season ends for Oregon (38-17), and so too do the careers of second baseman Allee Bunker, catcher Terra McGowan and utility player Katelyn Howard. They are the last players remaining from the 2018-19 team, the first under coach Melyssa Lombardi, which finished last in the Pac-12 amid nine outgoing transfers. The Ducks returned to the super regional round for the first time since 2018 largely because of the offensive production, defense and leadership of McGowan and Bunker.
It was the sixth time this season Oregon had two or fewer hits, including in both of its meetings against Maxwell (16-5), who carried a perfect game through 6.1 innings until a single to center by Bunker.
The Cowgirls struck early, with Rachel Becker leading off the game with a double to left, advancing on a bunt and scored on a Kiley Naomi single to center.
Maxwell and Oregon’s Stevie Hansen breezed through the rest of the first four innings, then OSU broke the game open in the fifth.
Morgyn Wynne and Tallen Edwards hit back-to-back singles and advanced on a bunt. Pinch hitter Katie Lott hit a grounder to short that Paige Sinicki fired home and had runner Haidyn Sokolski out by multiple steps. But the play was reviewed and McGowan, who was in the basepath before the throw home, was called for obstruction and the score became 2-0 with two on and one out rather than 1-0 with runners on the corners and two outs.
Becker followed with a two-run single to right and the day was over for Hansen (21-7), who allowed five runs, four earned, on seven hits and struck out three over 4.1 innings.
Morgan Scott hit Chyenne Factor and Naomi followed with a towering three-run home run to left.
Scott allowed four runs on five hits, a walk and hit batter and struck out three over 2.0 innings. Raegan Breedlove allowed a hit and struck out two for UO.
The Oregonian/OregonLive will update this story.
