SAN MARCOS, TX — After splitting a pair of postseason games against Oregon in 2021, the Texas State softball program tried to take the best-of-three series against the Ducks but were unable to find that timely hit as the No. 12 ranked Oregon held on to a 7-3 victory Thursday night. 

"I was proud of the way this team battled today," said Texas State softball head coach Ricci Woodard. "Last weekend, I didn't feel like we battled when we got down 3-1, but this game, I felt we continued to battle until the very end. I was just proud of the way we came out and played seven innings today." 

Following back-to-back scoreless frames by Oregon starting pitcher Makenna Kliethermes (3-0) and Texas State starting pitcher Karsen Pierce (1-1), the Ducks broke through in the run column with a single run on a Terra McGowan double that drove in Hannah Galey, who led off the inning with a walk. 

Pierce, in her first career game at Bobcat Stadium, responded with three consecutive groundouts to end the frame. 

"I thought Karsen Pierce threw a heck of a game," Woodard. "She threw well enough to win a ballgame for us and we just didn't get it done for her, in my opinion." 

It took until the bottom of the fourth for Texas State (2-2) to respond, but, with one out in the inning, Dani Elder, also making her home Texas State debut, singled home fellow first-year Bobcat Anna Jones from second to tie the game at 1-1. However, with Cat Crenek, who pinch ran for Caitlyn Rogers following a seeing-eye single through the left side, at second base and only one out, Claire Ginder grounded into a double play to end the threat. 

Notorious for its two-out production so far in 2022, Oregon (6-0) stayed on course with two two-out runs in the top of the fifth. The Ducks added two unearned runs an inning later on two Texas State throwing errors to extend its lead to 5-1. 

In the bottom of the sixth, freshman Ciara Trahan recorded her second hit of the cost when she opened the inning with a single back up the middle. She came around to score on a Sara Vanderford double that bounced off the right-centerfield wall. After Vanderford stole third during Anna Jones' plate appearance, she touched home plate when Rogers, again, singled through the left side to make it a two-run game. 

However, a two-run home run off the bat of Oregon's Alle Bunker in the top of the seventh pushed the Ducks' lead back to four. 

Texas State's last inning attempt at the plate nearly came to fruition as Kylie George and Trahan both reached base via infield singles during the bottom of the seventh to bring Vanderford to plate. But the Sun Belt Conference's Preseason Player of the Year was robbed of a run-scoring extra base hit by a diving catch in right field to end the game. 

UP NEXT

With its home-opening game now in the past, the Texas State softball program will, again, hit the road as the Bobcats travel over to Houston to participate in the University of Houston Tournament. The Bobcats will open play against McNeese State at 10 AM CT on Saturday, Feb. 19, before concluding the day against the host Cougars at 5:30 PM CT. 

For the latest information on the team, follow @TXStateSoftball on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. General athletic news can also be at @TxStateBobcats on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.