Alyssa Gillespie’s 7-for-8 performance at the plate in the NCAA Eugene Regional is just another example of how complete the Oregon softball team is, Baylor’s coach Glenn Moore said.
Hitting in the No. 9 spot, she had five runs, four RBIs and two doubles for the Ducks, who outscored their opponents 22-1 in the three games. Oregon held its opponents to 11 hits with Cheridan Hawkins and Megan Kleist in the circle.
The No. 5-seeded Ducks (47-8) won 8-1 in dominant fashion on Sunday, punching their ticket to the NCAA Super Regionals for the seventh consecutive year. The Ducks scored in all but two innings, capping off a weekend sweep.
Gillespie, the Hillsboro, Oregon-native, said she hasn’t noticed much of a difference in her approach. Rather, it’s a trust in herself on a big stage.
“I think it’s more just believing in what I’ve been doing over the course of the year and just getting a little bit of luck at times,” Gillespie said. “There’s not much difference, just focusing and committing to what we’re doing.”
Her stellar weekend bumped her batting average from .371 to .395. She has been hitting .632 in her last seven games. Gillespie, who has also hit atop the Oregon order this season, said she doesn’t have a preference in the lineup.
“Just no matter where I am, I’m going to go out there and do my job for the team and work around it,” Gillespie said.
Oregon head coach Mike White said Gillespie and Lilley make a potent back-to-back duo. Lilley was 3-for-4 on Sunday.
“It was great to have that 9-1 combination,” said White, who is now 21-0 in regional games. “I think it really set everything up.”
That pattern helped the Ducks early against Baylor (46-13). Gillespie scored on a double from Lilley in the right field gap in the second inning for a 2-0 Oregon lead.
The Ducks tacked on another run in the fourth inning when Gillespie doubled, scoring Hailey Decker. In the fifth inning, Janelle Lindvall’s sac bunt scored Nikki Udria. Lauren Lindvall’s single then would score Danica Mercado, who pinch ran for Gerri Ann Glasco. That gave Oregon a 5-0 lead.
Freshman Kleist came on in relief for Hawkins with two on and two out in the fifth inning, striking out Baylor’s batter in three pitches.
Udria blasted her team-leading 17th home run with nobody out in the sixth, scoring Gillespie and Lilley. Udria’s home run – Oregon’s lone blast of the regional – set the team’s record for most in a season (93).
“I thought our hitters did amazing this weekend,” Hawkins said.
Baylor scored an unearned run in the sixth inning when Caitlin Charlton doubled after a Lauren Lindvall error.
After the game, Moore said the Ducks “are on a mission.”
“They’re hitting on all cylinders,” Moore said. “I don’t think anybody could have beat them this weekend. If they play like that, they can win a national championship. They’re that good.”
Hawkins agreed with Baylor’s coach.
“I have a lot of faith in us in every aspect,” Hawkins said. “I think we have full potential to win a national championship.”
The only Big 12 series Baylor lost this season came at the hands of No. 3-seeded Oklahoma in a three-game sweep.
“[Oregon is] the most complete team I think we’ve played this year,” Moore said. “And we’ve played some good ones.”
The Ducks host UCLA next Saturday, May 28 at 6:30 p.m. and Sunday, May 29 at 4 p.m. An if-necessary game three would be 30 minutes after game two.
White emphasized that the two Pac-12 foes will begin with a clean slate. UCLA took 2-of-3 from Oregon in April.
“The game doesn’t know that we’ve played already this year,” White said. “It’s going to reward the team that plays the best.”
Follow Jonathan Hawthorne on Twitter @Jon_Hawthorne