Oregon Softball Stuns NCAA Field With Dramatic Walk-Off Win – Highlights, Score & What’s Next

EUGENE, Ore. — The Oregon Ducks softball team kept its Women’s College World Series dream alive Friday night, edging Liberty 3-2 in eight tense innings to capture Game 1 of the NCAA Eugene Super Regional at Jane Sanders Stadium. Oregon’s veteran designated player delivered the walk-off single through the middle, plating speedster Kedre Luschar from second and sending a capacity crowd of 2,517 into a frenzy. The victory moves head coach Melyssa Lombardi’s 16-seeded Ducks (45-14) within one win of their first WCWS trip since 2018. Dominant circle work Starter Stevie Hansen scattered four hits over 6.1 innings before freshman right-hander Emma Cox slammed the door, striking out three of the final five batters she faced. Cox improved to 11-1 on the year and lowered her postseason ERA to 0.84. Clutch offense at crunch time • Dezianna Patmon, the regional-round hero, opened Oregon’s scoring with a solo blast in the second, her 13th of the season. • Liberty countered with a two-run fifth, capitalizing on a Ducks error to seize a 2-1 edge. • With two outs in the seventh, junior shortstop Allee Bunker laced an RBI double to right-center, forcing extras and setting the stage for the eighth-inning dramatics. What’s next Game 2 is set for Saturday at 4 p.m. PT on ESPN2. A win sends Oregon to Oklahoma City; a Liberty victory forces a decisive Game 3 on Sunday. Road to OKC at a glance • Regionals: Oregon swept its Eugene Regional, highlighted by Patmon’s walk-off homer vs. Minnesota. • Super Regional: Ducks lead best-of-three 1-0 over Liberty. • WCWS dates: May 29 – June 6 at Devon Park, Oklahoma City. Key numbers for SEO searchers Oregon softball record 45-14, Pac-12 finish 3rd, RPI 16, team ERA 2.11, team batting average .311. How to watch & stream Fans can tune in on ESPN2, the ESPN app, ESPN+, or FuboTV for cord-cutters. First pitch Saturday: 4 p.m. PT. Ticket info and live stats are available at GoDucks.com.