Ducks roll past rival Washington for shutout win in Big Ten conference opener

SEATTLE, Wash. — Behind another dominant shutout performance by starter Lyndsey Grein, the No. 8 Oregon Ducks cruised to a 9-0 win over the Washington Huskies in just six innings. Last year, the Ducks took two out of three from a top 10 Husky team in their final meeting as members of the Pac-12, and on Friday afternoon, the two met for their first game as members of the Big Ten, with Oregon taking home its first win in its new conference.

Grein was lights out from the jump, not allowing a hit her first time through the order as she struck out 11 while only allowing five base runners all game. Through the first two innings, a hit-by-pitch was the only runner the Huskies manage. Grein struck out one in the first and two in the second, including a nasty changeup that froze Alycia Garcia to lead off the bottom of the second.

"Me and Coach Lombardi have really been working on it," Grein said of her changeup. "Hopefully, we can keep refining it, getting it better, and just keep that pitch rolling."

After Paige Sinicki was caught stealing to end the first inning, Rylee McCoy — who made her first start in a week after missing the final four games of the Jane Sanders Classic — led off the second with a single down the left field line. Two batters later, a Kedre Luschar double moved McCoy to third, setting up Stefini Ma'ake to bring her home with a sacrifice fly to shallow center field, putting the Ducks ahead 1-0. 

"The biggest thing for us was just to be on time and to not swing out of the zone," head coach Melyssa Lombardi said of what led to Oregon's success on offense.

Oregon (25-2) continued to add to its lead in the third, with Kai Luschar reaching on a bunt single before Katie Flannery drove her fifth home run of the season into the bleachers in right-center to make it 3-0 Ducks. 

"We do a lot of work, our coaches do a lot of work with our scout and our practice," Flannery said. "So just trying to see what I can hit hard."

McCoy followed with a double for her second hit of the game and came home two batters later when Kedre Luschar singled up the middle.

"It was great to see her back in the lineup," Lombardi said of McCoy. "You could see she was feeling good and taking good swings at the plate."

Working with a four-run lead, Grein quickly got the first two outs of the third before Husky catcher Jadyn Glab sent the first pitch she saw up the middle for Washington's first hit of the game. A four-pitch walk put two on for the Huskies' home run leader, Alexis DeBoer, but Grein made quick work of her as DeBoer whiffed at a heater at the top of the zone to end the inning.

She continued to cook in the fourth, picking up three strikeouts to erase a one-out Husky single.

"I thought she had really good command of the ball," Lombardi said. "I thought she did a good job of just working ahead and then changing eye-level throughout the game."

The Ducks' offense broke the game open in the top of the fifth, with Sinicki singling to lead off the frame before Flannery and McCoy went back-to-back to extend the lead to seven. Flannery's first career multi-homer game tied her with Patmon for third on the team, while McCoy extended her lead with her 10th home run, making her the first Duck to reach double digits this season. 

"I'm just glad to be back out there," McCoy said.

Back-to-back walks put runners on for the Huskies again in the bottom of the fifth, but Grein fanned Ava Carrol for her 10th strikeout of the game before DeBoer hit a long fly ball to left that Kai Luschar settled under to end the inning and strand a pair. 

Needing only one more run for the mercy rule, Braiesey Rosa — last weekend's hero — continued her excellent run at the plate with a single to left. Kaylynn Jones would walk on four pitches before Kai Luschar dropped down a perfect bunt to load the bases for Sinicki, who came through twice with the bases loaded in Oregon's last game. This time, she would line out to third on a terrific leaping catch by Jing Gardner, but by that point, Washington pitcher Rylee Rehbein began to struggle with her command, walking Flannery and McCoy to bring home two more runs.

Grein finished the Huskies off with another one-two-three inning in the bottom of the sixth, getting Sophi Mazzola to ground out to third for the first out. Alycia Flores popped back up to Grein before she blew a heater past a looking Charity Sevaaetasi for her 11th strikeout. 

Oregon is back in action for game two against the Huskies on Saturday. The first pitch is set for noon. The Ducks will close out the series against Washington on Sunday before taking on Seattle University for a one-gamer on Monday afternoon.