BATON ROUGE — Fifth-seeded Oregon eliminated sixth-seeded Northwestern State, 4-1, in the first game of the second day of the NCAA Softball Regional at Baton Rouge.
Ninteenth-ranked Oregon improved ot 35-28 on the season and advanced to play the loser of tonight’s Southern Miss-Hofstra matchup at 4 p.m. on Saturday.
Oregon starter Connie McMurren, the loser of the Ducks’ first game in the regional, improved to 16-18 on the season after allowing only one run on four hits.
Northwestern State finished the 2000 season at 41-19 after losing its second straight game in the regional tournament. Starting pitcher Amanda Ortego received the loss and fell to 16-8 on the season.
Northwestern State leadoff hitter Linette Stuart tripled to open the game then scored an unearned run on a two-out fielding error by Oregon third baseman Holly Ray to take a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
The Ducks tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the second inning when first baseman Triawn Custer hit a solo home run into the left field bullpen.
Oregon scored two more runs in the bottom of the third to take a 3-1 lead. Missy Coe led off the inning with a double and was driven home on a single by Jill Robinson. After Lindsey Welch singled and Custer walked to load the bases, Northwestern State relief pitcher Jessica Holaway hit Holly Ray to drive in Robinson and take the two-run lead.
With Ray on third in the top of the sixth, Haloway was called for an illegal pitch to give Oregon a 4-1 lead with one at bat left.
This is the first game of day two of regional play in Baton Rouge. LSU and UL-Lafayette will following at 4 p.m. before Southern Miss and Hofstra play at 7 p.m.
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