Sunday, March 17
Salt Lake City, UT
10:00 AM
University of Oregon
16-10, 0
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Utah
15-11, 0
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Oregon
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Utah
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Carlson Homer Backs Sokolsky’s Complete Game Win
03/17/24 | Softball
SALT LAKE CITY – Two Pac-12 weekends down, two series wins.
Elise Sokolsky threw her first complete game as a Duck to lead No. 24 Oregon past Utah, 5-1, Sunday at Dumke Stadium. The Ducks ran their conference record to 4-2 (16-10 overall) by winning the series with the Utes two games to one.
Ariel Carlson and KK Humphreys homered to back Sokolsky, who didn't surrender a hit after the third inning to improve to 3-0 on the season. Sokolsky allowed one run on three hits, struck out four and walked three in seven innings.
"Loved to see them come out and do what they did in the first game," said coach Melyssa Lombardi. "Yesterday was a bit of a heartbreaker, but I feel like this was a character game today. To see them come into this game – they were not going to be denied."
How it Happened: After Karlie Davidson homered to give the Utes (15-11, 1-5) a 1-0 lead in the second, the Ducks responded with four runs in the top of the third.
Hanna Delgado led off with a triple to the wall in right center. Kai Luschar reached base on an error before Carlson launched a ball high into orbit. It eventually came down far beyond the left center field wall for a three-run home run. Carlson's eighth homer of the year gave the Ducks a 3-1 lead.
"It felt really good," said Carlson of her home run. "Every weekend our goal is to get a series win so solidifying that today felt amazing. What's so impressive about this team is that one through nine we're so strong that I don't need to be the one to do it every time."
Vallery Wong followed Carlson with a double – her fourth of the series – and advanced to third on an error off the bat of Emma Kauf. The Ducks then put a delayed steal in motion with Kauf breaking for second to draw a throw before Wong charged home. Wong was initially ruled out, but the call was overturned after video review confirmed that Wong slid in safely to the back corner of the plate.
Then the Ducks' defense took over. In the bottom of the third, Tehya Bird charged in from third to make two impressive plays on slow choppers down the line before Alyssa Daniell snared a line drive at first to end the inning.
Sokolsky took matters into her own hand in the bottom of the fourth, striking out the side on 12 pitches.
"I just saw how hard my team was working for me and I just wanted to be able to go out and show them the same energy," said Sokolsky of setting the side down in order.
She retired the first two batters in the fifth inning before issuing a pair of two-out walks. But she got pinch-hitter Kaylah Nelson to pop out to Luschar in left to end the inning. Sokolsky tossed another 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the sixth.
"I could tell from the outfield how much her ball was moving," said Carlson. "Her rise ball was floating like crazy."
In the top of the seventh, KK Humphreys drilled a two-out home run over the wall in left to give the Ducks a 5-1 lead before Sokolsky polished things off with a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh.
"Talking with Elise in between innings, she was saying, 'I'm getting a shutdown inning; I'm getting a shutdown inning.' She was locked in with what she wanted to do," said Lombardi. "I felt once she figured out the height of her rise ball you could just see her really settle in and let her ball spin."
Quotable
Head Coach Melyssa Lombardi
"I thought the preparation on offense this past week was really, really good. They understood their game plan, and their execution over the entire weekend was great. I thought our offense was really good."
On Deck: The Ducks will host Arizona State for a three-game series beginning Friday at 5 p.m. at Jane Sanders Stadium (Pac-12 Network).
- www.GoDucks.com -
Elise Sokolsky threw her first complete game as a Duck to lead No. 24 Oregon past Utah, 5-1, Sunday at Dumke Stadium. The Ducks ran their conference record to 4-2 (16-10 overall) by winning the series with the Utes two games to one.
Ariel Carlson and KK Humphreys homered to back Sokolsky, who didn't surrender a hit after the third inning to improve to 3-0 on the season. Sokolsky allowed one run on three hits, struck out four and walked three in seven innings.
"Loved to see them come out and do what they did in the first game," said coach Melyssa Lombardi. "Yesterday was a bit of a heartbreaker, but I feel like this was a character game today. To see them come into this game – they were not going to be denied."
How it Happened: After Karlie Davidson homered to give the Utes (15-11, 1-5) a 1-0 lead in the second, the Ducks responded with four runs in the top of the third.
Hanna Delgado led off with a triple to the wall in right center. Kai Luschar reached base on an error before Carlson launched a ball high into orbit. It eventually came down far beyond the left center field wall for a three-run home run. Carlson's eighth homer of the year gave the Ducks a 3-1 lead.
"It felt really good," said Carlson of her home run. "Every weekend our goal is to get a series win so solidifying that today felt amazing. What's so impressive about this team is that one through nine we're so strong that I don't need to be the one to do it every time."
Vallery Wong followed Carlson with a double – her fourth of the series – and advanced to third on an error off the bat of Emma Kauf. The Ducks then put a delayed steal in motion with Kauf breaking for second to draw a throw before Wong charged home. Wong was initially ruled out, but the call was overturned after video review confirmed that Wong slid in safely to the back corner of the plate.
Then the Ducks' defense took over. In the bottom of the third, Tehya Bird charged in from third to make two impressive plays on slow choppers down the line before Alyssa Daniell snared a line drive at first to end the inning.
Sokolsky took matters into her own hand in the bottom of the fourth, striking out the side on 12 pitches.
"I just saw how hard my team was working for me and I just wanted to be able to go out and show them the same energy," said Sokolsky of setting the side down in order.
She retired the first two batters in the fifth inning before issuing a pair of two-out walks. But she got pinch-hitter Kaylah Nelson to pop out to Luschar in left to end the inning. Sokolsky tossed another 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the sixth.
"I could tell from the outfield how much her ball was moving," said Carlson. "Her rise ball was floating like crazy."
In the top of the seventh, KK Humphreys drilled a two-out home run over the wall in left to give the Ducks a 5-1 lead before Sokolsky polished things off with a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh.
"Talking with Elise in between innings, she was saying, 'I'm getting a shutdown inning; I'm getting a shutdown inning.' She was locked in with what she wanted to do," said Lombardi. "I felt once she figured out the height of her rise ball you could just see her really settle in and let her ball spin."
Quotable
Head Coach Melyssa Lombardi
"I thought the preparation on offense this past week was really, really good. They understood their game plan, and their execution over the entire weekend was great. I thought our offense was really good."
On Deck: The Ducks will host Arizona State for a three-game series beginning Friday at 5 p.m. at Jane Sanders Stadium (Pac-12 Network).
- www.GoDucks.com -
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Sokolsky, Elise (3-0)
L: LADD (7-5)
Batting:
2B: Wong, Vallery 1 ; Delgado, Hanna 1
3B: Bird, Tehya 1 ; Delgado, Hanna 1
HR: Carlson, Ariel 1 ; Humphreys, KK 1
RBI: Carlson, Ariel 3 ; Humphreys, KK 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Luschar, Kai 1 ; Carlson, Ariel 1 ; Wong, Vallery 1 ; Humphreys, KK 1 ; Delgado, Hanna 1
SB: Carlson, Ariel 1
CS: Kauf, Emma 1
Batting:
HR: DAVISON 1
RBI: DAVISON 1
Base Running:
RUNS: DAVISON 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
3
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
INF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
RHP
/ SoftballC/UTL
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