Photo by: Rob Moseley/GoDucks.com
Chambers, Patmon Enjoying Senior Moments
05/27/25 | Softball
They came to Oregon with one year of eligibility and looking to help the Ducks reach OKC, and each played a huge role the past two weeks.
OKLAHOMA CITY — This is why they came to Oregon. And why the UO softball program wanted them as Ducks.
Staci Chambers, Dezianna Patmon and the rest of the UO softball team arrived on site for the Women's College World Series on Monday. The Ducks held their first practice in Oklahoma on Tuesday, and they'll practice Wednesday at Devon Park before returning there to open the WCWS against UCLA on Thursday (6:30 p.m., ESPN2).
For Chambers and Patmon specifically, the path to OKC didn't unfold as they might have planned, when each joined the Ducks as a senior transfer for this season. But the joy at reaching this destination makes the hardships of the journey well worth it.
"I've never been a part of postseason softball," said Patmon, a senior outfielder for the Ducks. "So that's always been the goal and the dream. And being able to achieve that goal with this team is something that's really special."
It's hard to imagine the Ducks achieving the goal of reaching OKC without Patmon, or Chambers. Oregon only survived the NCAA Regional round by coming from behind to beat Stanford in a deciding game seven, with Chambers pitching 4 1/3 scoreless innings of relief that set the stage for a walk-off home run by Patmon.
That sent Oregon on to Super Regionals where, five days later, Chambers pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen. She ended up being the winning pitcher in the Ducks' Super Regional opener against Liberty when Patmon provided another walk-off win, with a single in the eighth inning.
"I think this is the perfect time for us to really be showing up and showing out for the rest of the team," Chambers said. "Doing whatever we can to push the team to go further."
That Chambers and Patmon would make significant contributions for an Oregon softball team with WCWS dreams isn't a surprise. But things rarely go exactly according to plan in sports, as both seniors experienced this season.
Chambers came to Oregon from Cal State-Fullerton, where the feisty lefty was 17-6 with a 2.07 ERA and 144 strikeouts in 152 innings last spring. But after making three appearances on the opening weekend of this season, she suffered an injury and didn't pitch again in a game for six weeks. It wasn't until late April that Chambers found enough of a groove to notch consecutive scoreless appearances.
Patmon joined the Ducks from New Mexico State, where she hit .387 with 15 home runs last season. Expected to be a big-time power bat for Oregon, Patmon was solid in the regular season, but she entered NCAA Regionals hitting .297 with eight homers.
Then, each transfer took a starring role in two of the most memorable games in recent UO history.
"Watching Staci and watching Dez perform has just been a joy," UO coach Melyssa Lombardi said. "We knew coming into the year that they were gonna have one year; we've talked about urgency all year and they've had it — they've had it. To see them throughout the year get some of what they want but know that they were wanting more, and from there to come up in some of the biggest moments of our season and absolutely clutch up and get things done for our team, has been huge.
"I mean, this is why they are here — because we knew that they know how to be big in big moments."
Patmon has played in 59 of 61 games for the Ducks this season, and started 55. She was hitting as high as .361 in late February before dropping down below .300 a couple of times, entering regionals at .297 after an 0-for-3 day in Oregon's Big Ten Tournament loss to Michigan.
"We always talk about our process," Patmon said. "I maybe didn't have the season that I hoped for and wanted, but I sat down with (associate head coach Sam) Marder and we talked about, like, postseason is a reset. There's moments to come in clutch — and she'd tell me, you're gonna be up to bat, you're gonna be the one that does it. Just keep believing in that."
That belief paid off in unforgettable fashion in the regional clincher against Stanford. First Patmon tripled to lead off the sixth inning and scored the tying run, as Oregon fought back from a 7-3 deficit to tie it, 7-7. One inning later, Patmon came up with two on, one out and the score tied — and immediately untied it, with a first-pitch blast to left-center for a walk-off three-run homer.
Chambers had kept Oregon's comeback hopes alive that night with her gritty relief effort; the only reason she didn't get the win was because she'd handed the ball to Elise Sokolsky for the final out in the top of the seventh, when the Cardinal had put two runners in scoring position with two out.
But five days later, when Patmon hit another walk-off to beat Liberty in Super Regionals, it was Chambers who was the winning pitcher. That was just her third win of the season, and her first since Feb. 8, prior to being injured.
That injury kept Chambers from compiling regular-season numbers on par with what she did at Cal State-Fullerton. But the postseason has made it all worth it.
"The goal is always the World Series, at the end of the day," Chambers said. "Seeing it become a reality is exciting. I'm ecstatic, and I can't believe we're here. But I think now that we're here, this is the expectation. We've just raised our standard."
Staci Chambers, Dezianna Patmon and the rest of the UO softball team arrived on site for the Women's College World Series on Monday. The Ducks held their first practice in Oklahoma on Tuesday, and they'll practice Wednesday at Devon Park before returning there to open the WCWS against UCLA on Thursday (6:30 p.m., ESPN2).
For Chambers and Patmon specifically, the path to OKC didn't unfold as they might have planned, when each joined the Ducks as a senior transfer for this season. But the joy at reaching this destination makes the hardships of the journey well worth it.
"I've never been a part of postseason softball," said Patmon, a senior outfielder for the Ducks. "So that's always been the goal and the dream. And being able to achieve that goal with this team is something that's really special."
It's hard to imagine the Ducks achieving the goal of reaching OKC without Patmon, or Chambers. Oregon only survived the NCAA Regional round by coming from behind to beat Stanford in a deciding game seven, with Chambers pitching 4 1/3 scoreless innings of relief that set the stage for a walk-off home run by Patmon.
That sent Oregon on to Super Regionals where, five days later, Chambers pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen. She ended up being the winning pitcher in the Ducks' Super Regional opener against Liberty when Patmon provided another walk-off win, with a single in the eighth inning.
"I think this is the perfect time for us to really be showing up and showing out for the rest of the team," Chambers said. "Doing whatever we can to push the team to go further."
That Chambers and Patmon would make significant contributions for an Oregon softball team with WCWS dreams isn't a surprise. But things rarely go exactly according to plan in sports, as both seniors experienced this season.
Chambers came to Oregon from Cal State-Fullerton, where the feisty lefty was 17-6 with a 2.07 ERA and 144 strikeouts in 152 innings last spring. But after making three appearances on the opening weekend of this season, she suffered an injury and didn't pitch again in a game for six weeks. It wasn't until late April that Chambers found enough of a groove to notch consecutive scoreless appearances.
Patmon joined the Ducks from New Mexico State, where she hit .387 with 15 home runs last season. Expected to be a big-time power bat for Oregon, Patmon was solid in the regular season, but she entered NCAA Regionals hitting .297 with eight homers.
Then, each transfer took a starring role in two of the most memorable games in recent UO history.
"Watching Staci and watching Dez perform has just been a joy," UO coach Melyssa Lombardi said. "We knew coming into the year that they were gonna have one year; we've talked about urgency all year and they've had it — they've had it. To see them throughout the year get some of what they want but know that they were wanting more, and from there to come up in some of the biggest moments of our season and absolutely clutch up and get things done for our team, has been huge.
"I mean, this is why they are here — because we knew that they know how to be big in big moments."
Patmon has played in 59 of 61 games for the Ducks this season, and started 55. She was hitting as high as .361 in late February before dropping down below .300 a couple of times, entering regionals at .297 after an 0-for-3 day in Oregon's Big Ten Tournament loss to Michigan.
"We always talk about our process," Patmon said. "I maybe didn't have the season that I hoped for and wanted, but I sat down with (associate head coach Sam) Marder and we talked about, like, postseason is a reset. There's moments to come in clutch — and she'd tell me, you're gonna be up to bat, you're gonna be the one that does it. Just keep believing in that."
That belief paid off in unforgettable fashion in the regional clincher against Stanford. First Patmon tripled to lead off the sixth inning and scored the tying run, as Oregon fought back from a 7-3 deficit to tie it, 7-7. One inning later, Patmon came up with two on, one out and the score tied — and immediately untied it, with a first-pitch blast to left-center for a walk-off three-run homer.
Chambers had kept Oregon's comeback hopes alive that night with her gritty relief effort; the only reason she didn't get the win was because she'd handed the ball to Elise Sokolsky for the final out in the top of the seventh, when the Cardinal had put two runners in scoring position with two out.
But five days later, when Patmon hit another walk-off to beat Liberty in Super Regionals, it was Chambers who was the winning pitcher. That was just her third win of the season, and her first since Feb. 8, prior to being injured.
That injury kept Chambers from compiling regular-season numbers on par with what she did at Cal State-Fullerton. But the postseason has made it all worth it.
"The goal is always the World Series, at the end of the day," Chambers said. "Seeing it become a reality is exciting. I'm ecstatic, and I can't believe we're here. But I think now that we're here, this is the expectation. We've just raised our standard."
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