The most famous cliché in diamond sports is that it’s a game of failure. But no one expected a let down like this.
Top-seeded Oregon softball (47-7, 19-4) went out in the Big Ten Tournament in embarrassing fashion, mustering just five hits and going just 1-15 with runners on base in a 5-0 loss to eighth-seeded Michigan (36-19, 13-11).
“We’re not done; there’s so much more to do,” Oregon head coach Melyssa Lombardi said to GoDucks. “But in order for that to happen, we’ve got to be better than what we showed today. Michigan played really, really well on all sides of the ball. We didn’t play well enough. And that’s the difference.”
Oregon’s offense did nothing while its pitching wasn’t good enough on a day when the Ducks were never a threat.
Michigan tallied 11 hits while scoring once in the second and third innings before a three-spot in the fifth put the Ducks away.
The Ducks couldn’t score and their pitching couldn’t match the Wolverines — the result was a thud of a performance that could leave Oregon’s regional-hosting aspirations in jeopardy. On the other hand, Michigan cashed in most of the chances it got while Oregon’s offense crumbled in the clutch.
The loss is only made worse by the precedent — the Ducks swept Michigan on home turf less than a month prior.
Kai Luschar (2-4) was the only Duck with multiple hits. Oregon left runners on base in five separate innings. Michigan, on the other hand, was 7-for-12 with runners in scoring position.
Oregon’s best chance came in the third and fifth innings when the Ducks got two on with one out, but both times runners were stranded.
It’s the second time the Ducks have been held scoreless this season.
Pitchers Elise Sokolsky, Lyndsey Grein and Staci Chambers threw for the Ducks, with the trio combining to go the distance. But Oregon couldn’t muster any momentum offensively, and with that, came crumbling down on the biggest stage.
Maddie Erickson and Jenissa Conway both tallied RBI knocks for the Wolverines to chase Sokolsky after just two innings of work.
Grein walked one and allowed three singles over 2.1 disappointing innings in relief.
Lauren Derkowski (three hits, one walk over three innings) and Erin Hoehn (two hits, four innings) were brilliant for the Wolverines, who advance to face the winner of No. 4 seed Ohio State and No. 12 seed Purdue in the semifinals.
Oregon went down in order in the seventh, all while Michigan and its crowd deliriously celebrated the upset.
The Ducks crumbled in pitiful and — given their season-long prowess — shocking fashion.
Oregon entered the week 16th in the RPI rankings. The Ducks will learn their future in the NCAA Tournament selection show on Sunday.
