WALK. OFF. DUCKS. 😱 @terramcgowan11#RoadToWCWS x @OregonSB pic.twitter.com/g32xX7jotS
— NCAA Softball (@NCAAsoftball) May 24, 2021
It was worth the wait.
Terra McGowen sent Shealyn O’Leary’s 149th pitch to the right-field wall to score Haley Cruse to give the Ducks the 3-2 win over Texas and to extend the Oregon Ducks softball season for at least a couple of more hours.
After Brooke Yanez held the Longhorns scoreless in the top of the eighth, the Ducks got cracking. Cruse lined a double down the right-field line to begin the extra-inning rally. Allee Bunker coaxed a walk to set up McGowen.
The Oregon catcher could have easily sacrificed the runners over, but coach Melyssa Lombardi trusted McGowen to swing away, and swing away she did.
With the victory, the Ducks and Longhorns meet up one more time tonight to decide the winner of the Regional and to see who goes on to Oklahoma State for the Super Regional next weekend.