No. 5 Oregon softball wins close matchup in game one against Michigan

EUGENE, Ore. — In a departure from their recent victories, the No. 5 Oregon Ducks were forced to grind out a close game to take the first of the series from the Michigan Wolverines. After setting a program record with 41 runs in two games at Rutgers last weekend and taking out the Oregon State Beavers 9-1 on Wednesday night, the Ducks were able to squeak by the Wolverines 3-2 on Friday night, once again demonstrating their ability to win games in multiple ways.

"That's another thing we talk about, just how many different ways can we win?" head coach Melyssa Lombardi said after the game. "I think every time we play the game, the game is gonna tell us what it's gonna look like to win. And that's can our pitching and our defense hold the opponent down and give us the opportunity to score a couple of runs and win the ball game."

Oregon starter Lyndsey Grein began the game back to her usual ways this season, recording six strikeouts through a hitless first three innings of the game. Her riseball was once again her most dominant pitch, but she did a good job at mixing in her dropball and changeup on Friday night, keeping hitters off balance so that she could blow them away with heaters at the top of the zone.

"I was super excited to come home and pitch at the Jane," Grein said.

The Ducks (33-3, 7-1) ran into some unfortunate luck in the first, as Paige Sinicki walked to give them a one-out baserunner, but when Rylee McCoy ripped a line drive, it landed right in the glove of third baseman Maddie Erickson, who easily threw over to first to double up Sinicki. Katie Flannery wouldn't let the Wolverine momentum last long, sending the first pitch of the bottom of the second into the netting beyond the wall in left field. A walk by Kedre Luschar, a stolen base, and an error put her on third for Stefini Ma'ake, who brought home the Ducks' second run with an RBI groundout.

Jenissa Conway led off the top of the fourth with the Wolverines' (27-10, 6-2) first hit of the game before stealing second to put a runner in scoring position. After Grein's seventh strikeout and a hard-hit liner to Flannery, Kedre Luschar made an incredible diving catch in center field to save a run, sprinting in before laying out to end the inning.

"We talk a lot about how defense wins championships," Lombardi said. "To see the type of day that Kedre had today in the outfield and both Paige [Sinicki] and Katie [Flannery], I mean, those are hard shots that they're fielding and just making look extremely easy."

Luschar followed up her ridiculous catch in the outfield by nearly sending her fourth homer of the season out to left field as her hard-hit line drive ricocheted off the wall for a double. Oregon couldn't bring her home, though, as Ma'ake went down swinging before Dezianna Patmon popped up to the infield.

Grein finally cracked in the fifth inning, as in back-to-back frames, the Wolverines tagged her for solo home runs. Erickson struck first, turning on a 0-2 heater to cut the lead to one before Conway followed her up in the sixth, taking advantage after Grein fell behind 3-1 in the count to tie the game.

That would do it for Grein, who finished the evening allowing two runs on three hits, striking out eight across 5 ⅓ innings. Elise Sokolsky was called on in relief, quickly getting out of the frame with a pair of grounders to the left side of the infield.

"The only thing I can do is move forward," Grein said of conceding the homers.

"Nothing good comes from moving backwards, and I think that's a way I like to live my life on and off the field. So next pitch it is."

Sinicki led off the bottom of the sixth by blooping a ball into shallow center field, directly into the triangle between the Wolverines' second baseman, shortstop, and center fielder. In the confusion, Sinicki kicked into high gear, racing to second before sliding in with a leadoff double. One pitch later, the Ducks retook the lead when McCoy shot the first pitch from Lauren Derkowski the other way for a single into right field. Sinicki raced around third before diving in safe at home, emphatically pounding the plate as she stood up to rile the Jane Sanders Stadium crowd into a frenzy.

"I was just so happy for her," Sinicki said of McCoy. "Me slamming in the home plate, it was just me being so passionate and loving for Riley and the whole team."

"I just wanted to get it done for them," McCoy said. "Our pitchers are working so hard all game, and the opportunity presented itself, and I knew it was my turn to handle business."

Now working with a one-run lead and looking to close out the win, Sokolsky went back to her bread and butter, quickly recording a strikeout with her changeup for the first out. A bunt single put the tying run on base, but Sokolsky wasn't affected, only needing four more pitches to record her second strikeout and get a flyout to center that Kedre Luschar settled under to close out the win.

"Elise coming in the way she did, there's nothing better than celebrating her success, and I wouldn't have it any other way," Grein said of her teammate. "I would give up as many home runs as necessary, but it meant that I got to celebrate Elise like I did today."

Oregon is back in action on Saturday as the series continues with game two at 4 PM at Jane Sanders Stadium. The Ducks will close out their series with the Wolverines at 1 PM on Sunday before they will host Loyola Marymount for a one-off at noon on Monday.