Photo by: Joseph Ceniceros
Ducks Pull Away from Titans with Eight-Run Seventh
03/26/24 | Softball
FULLERTON, Calif. – Duck catcher Emma Kauf has played in 204 games during her college career, but none quite like the one Tuesday night at Anderson Family Field.
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No. 21 Oregon scored eight runs in the top of the seventh to pull away from Cal State Fullerton, 12-4, but before that, it was a roller coaster ride for Kauf and the Ducks.
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Kauf's stat line read 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBI. She also threw out a runner but committed two errors. It was a journey that came full circle for the fifth-year transfer from Georgia Tech when she drove in the go-ahead runs in the top of the seventh.
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"I think we did a really good job of staying together as a team throughout the whole game," said Kauf. "Going down the first inning and then bouncing right back the next few innings. I think we did a really good job sticking together and we kept fighting the whole game."
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The end result was a season-high fifth straight win for the Ducks, who also notched their 20th win of 2024 against 10 losses.
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How it Happened: The Titans took advantage of two uncharacteristic errors – including one by Kauf – in the first inning to take a 2-0 lead. It was the first time all year Oregon committed two errors in one inning.
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The Ducks responded with both the long ball and small ball in the top of the second to take a 3-2 lead.
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Kauf homered the opposite way to left center to cut the Titans' lead in half.
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Katie Flannery followed with a walk and went to third on KK Humphreys' single. Paige Sinicki brought the tying run home with a squeeze bunt and reached second on an error by the pitcher, whose throw home was off target, allowing pinch-runner Regan Legg to score the tying run as Humphreys advanced to third.
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Hanna Delgado walked to load the bases and Humphreys came home on a wild pitch.
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The Titans (19-12) tied the game at 3-3 on a two-out home run in the bottom of the third.
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Oregon jumped back in front in the top of the fourth. Humphreys and Sinicki both singled. Humphreys then came home on a double by Delgado to make it 4-3 Ducks. But Fullerton knotted things at 4-4 in the bottom of the inning, again aided by an errant throw to second from Kauf that took a wild bounce off the bag and into right field.
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"We were talking about as a team, continuing to reset," said Kauf. "Whenever something wasn't going our way or we were making errors on defense, we just had to tell ourselves that we had to reset; get back to neutral, and then go out on offense and execute there. I think the whole team did a good job of that."
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When a chance for redemption presented itself in the seventh inning, Kauf did not miss her shot.
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Daniell led off with a walk and Wong doubled to deep center field putting two runners in scoring position. Kauf delivered with a two-run single through the right side that put the Ducks ahead for good, 6-4. Then it was time to add-on.
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Flannery reached on a fielder's choice and Kauf went to third on a fielding error. Humphreys loaded the bases with a walk and Sinicki worked a full count walk to force in a run, making it 7-4.
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Delgado extended the lead to five with a double to the warning track in left to bring Flannery and Humphreys home.
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An out later Ariel Carlson doubled through the middle to plate two more runs and put the game out of reach at 11-4.
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Wong brought Carlson home with the Ducks' 12 run of the game on a single past third base.
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Taylour Spencer worked three scoreless innings in relief to pick up the win, improving to 6-2 on the season. Starter Morgan Scott went the first four innings and gave up four runs – two unearned – and struck out four.
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Wong had three hits on Tuesday, while Kauf, Humphreys and Delgado all had two.
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Quotable
C Emma Kauf on using the game as momentum for UCLA
"I think we can take a lot of stuff from today and learn from it, use that and then take this momentum going into UCLA."
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Noteworthy: The bottom of the order – Humphreys, Sinicki and Delgado – went 5-for-8 with five RBI and scored five runs … Carlson's two RBIs moved her into a tie for the Pac-12 lead with Arizona's Carlie Scupin at 36 … With two doubles, Delgado moved into a tie for the team lead at nine with Wong, who also doubled on Tuesday … freshman Braiesey Rosa got her first career stolen base.
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On Deck: Oregon moves to Westwood for a three-game series at UCLA that begins Thursday. All three games will be on the Pac-12 Networks.
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- www.GoDucks.com -
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No. 21 Oregon scored eight runs in the top of the seventh to pull away from Cal State Fullerton, 12-4, but before that, it was a roller coaster ride for Kauf and the Ducks.
Â
Kauf's stat line read 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBI. She also threw out a runner but committed two errors. It was a journey that came full circle for the fifth-year transfer from Georgia Tech when she drove in the go-ahead runs in the top of the seventh.
Â
"I think we did a really good job of staying together as a team throughout the whole game," said Kauf. "Going down the first inning and then bouncing right back the next few innings. I think we did a really good job sticking together and we kept fighting the whole game."
Â
The end result was a season-high fifth straight win for the Ducks, who also notched their 20th win of 2024 against 10 losses.
Â
How it Happened: The Titans took advantage of two uncharacteristic errors – including one by Kauf – in the first inning to take a 2-0 lead. It was the first time all year Oregon committed two errors in one inning.
Â
The Ducks responded with both the long ball and small ball in the top of the second to take a 3-2 lead.
Â
Kauf homered the opposite way to left center to cut the Titans' lead in half.
Â
Katie Flannery followed with a walk and went to third on KK Humphreys' single. Paige Sinicki brought the tying run home with a squeeze bunt and reached second on an error by the pitcher, whose throw home was off target, allowing pinch-runner Regan Legg to score the tying run as Humphreys advanced to third.
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Hanna Delgado walked to load the bases and Humphreys came home on a wild pitch.
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The Titans (19-12) tied the game at 3-3 on a two-out home run in the bottom of the third.
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Oregon jumped back in front in the top of the fourth. Humphreys and Sinicki both singled. Humphreys then came home on a double by Delgado to make it 4-3 Ducks. But Fullerton knotted things at 4-4 in the bottom of the inning, again aided by an errant throw to second from Kauf that took a wild bounce off the bag and into right field.
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"We were talking about as a team, continuing to reset," said Kauf. "Whenever something wasn't going our way or we were making errors on defense, we just had to tell ourselves that we had to reset; get back to neutral, and then go out on offense and execute there. I think the whole team did a good job of that."
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When a chance for redemption presented itself in the seventh inning, Kauf did not miss her shot.
Â
Daniell led off with a walk and Wong doubled to deep center field putting two runners in scoring position. Kauf delivered with a two-run single through the right side that put the Ducks ahead for good, 6-4. Then it was time to add-on.
Â
Flannery reached on a fielder's choice and Kauf went to third on a fielding error. Humphreys loaded the bases with a walk and Sinicki worked a full count walk to force in a run, making it 7-4.
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Delgado extended the lead to five with a double to the warning track in left to bring Flannery and Humphreys home.
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An out later Ariel Carlson doubled through the middle to plate two more runs and put the game out of reach at 11-4.
Â
Wong brought Carlson home with the Ducks' 12 run of the game on a single past third base.
Â
Taylour Spencer worked three scoreless innings in relief to pick up the win, improving to 6-2 on the season. Starter Morgan Scott went the first four innings and gave up four runs – two unearned – and struck out four.
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Wong had three hits on Tuesday, while Kauf, Humphreys and Delgado all had two.
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Quotable
C Emma Kauf on using the game as momentum for UCLA
"I think we can take a lot of stuff from today and learn from it, use that and then take this momentum going into UCLA."
Â
Noteworthy: The bottom of the order – Humphreys, Sinicki and Delgado – went 5-for-8 with five RBI and scored five runs … Carlson's two RBIs moved her into a tie for the Pac-12 lead with Arizona's Carlie Scupin at 36 … With two doubles, Delgado moved into a tie for the team lead at nine with Wong, who also doubled on Tuesday … freshman Braiesey Rosa got her first career stolen base.
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On Deck: Oregon moves to Westwood for a three-game series at UCLA that begins Thursday. All three games will be on the Pac-12 Networks.
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- www.GoDucks.com -
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Spencer, Taylour (6-2)
L: McCleskey, T (0-1)

Batting:
2B: Carlson, Ariel 1 ; Wong, Vallery 1 ; Delgado, Hanna 2
HR: Kauf, Emma 1
RBI: Carlson, Ariel 2 ; Wong, Vallery 1 ; Kauf, Emma 3 ; Sinicki, Paige 2 ; Delgado, Hanna 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Carlson, Ariel 1 ; Daniell, Alyssa 1 ; Wong, Vallery 1 ; Kauf, Emma 2 ; Flannery, Katie 1 ; Legg, Regan 1 ; Humphreys, KK 3 ; Sinicki, Paige 1 ; Delgado, Hanna 1
SB: Daniell, Alyssa 1 ; Rosa, Braiesey 1

Batting:
HR: Alcala, J. 1
RBI: Wallace, B. 1 ; Alcala, J. 1
SH: Alcala, J. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Delgadillo,M 1 ; Wallace, B. 1 ; Alcala, J. 1 ; McClinton, C 1
SB: Delgadillo,M 1 ; McClinton, C 1
CS: Delgadillo,M 1 ; Romulo, K. 1
HBP: Delgadillo,M 1
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
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Wednesday, May 13
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