Oregon Advances to Championship Game with 8-4 Win over South Carolina

Alicia Cook (23-4) picked up her second win of the weekend, allowing four runs on 12 hits.

Ann Marie Topps hit her 19th home run of the season in Oregon's 8-4 victory. Photo: goducks.com

COLUMBIA, S.C. - It had been three weeks since Ann Marie Topps hit her record-breaking home run, but the senior torched No. 19, a three-run shot dead to center field in Oregon’s 8-4 victory over South Carolina on Saturday afternoon in the 2007 Regionals at Beckham Field.

With the win, the No. 2 seed Ducks (44-17) will await to find out their opponent for Sunday in the Regional championship game scheduled for 10:00 AM.

Even if Oregon were to drop that game, the Ducks would get a second chance to win the regional bracket with a second game on Sunday.

The four teams in the bracket are playing double-elimination.

Alicia Cook (23-4) picked up her second win of the weekend, allowing four runs on 12 hits. It was her 22nd complete game of the year.

Cook was also helped out by her defense, when the infield turned a 6-4-3 double play with runners on the corners and one out in the bottom of the fifth. South Carolina also left two runners on in the bottom of sixth and seventh.

After Topps’ home run gave Oregon a 5-1 lead in the top of the fifth, South Carolina put a run on the scoreboard when Lisa Longo doubled down the left field line to score Tori Martin.

In the top of the seventh Oregon added three insurance runs when freshman Neena Bryant’s one-out, stand-up double off the wall in right center brought Jenn Salling and Sari-Jane Jenkins across the plate. Senior first baseman Kristi Leiter then added her second RBI in as many days, bringing home Bryant with a single to right field.

The Gamecocks (35-24) made things interesting when Lindsay Walker dropped a two-run single into shallow center field with two outs against her in the seventh.

Four Oregon players finished with multiple hits on the day, led by Jenkins’ 3-for-4 performance. Salling was 2-for-3 as was Leiter. Joanna Gail finished with two hits as well, including her eighth double of the year.

South Carolina’s Melissa Hendon (18-17) took the loss after allowing eight runs on 12 hits.

In the first Oregon took its first lead, as Salling had runners at second and third with two strikes against her when she lined a two-run single through the right side, picking up multiple RBIs for the second consecutive game and giving Oregon a 2-0 lead.

Salling was able to pick up the RBIs after the speedy Suzie Barnes reached first on an infield single and stole second, followed by Jenkins, who improved her hitting streak to eight games and added her third stolen base of the Regionals.

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