Revenge is even sweeter when it comes against a rival.
In a 9-1 win over the Oregon State Beavers (14-15) on Wednesday, the Ducks (32-3, 6-1 Big Ten) continued their tremendous season. They led wire-to-wire in a game dominated by pitcher Elise Sokolsky, who threw seven innings with seven strikeouts, and a lineup that struck for three runs in the fourth and never looked back.
Put it all together, and the Ducks continue to have a consistent recipe for success. Timely hitting mixed with dominant pitching has them off to the best overall record in the Big Ten this year.
On Wednesday, Sokolksy was Oregon’s brightest star.
She retired all but three Beavers she faced, and allowed just the one hit, her one run allowed was spurred by a one-out error.
Stefini Ma’ake opened the scoring with a solo home run in the first, giving her 11 homers on the season, which is good for second on the team only behind Rylee McCoy.
Oregon went 11-31 total at the plate on Wednesday — all nine Ducks’ starters boast a batting average above .300.
Braiesey Rosa helped double the lead in the third by driving in Kedre Luschar on a sac-fly before Ma’ake’s second homer of the day extended the advantage to four.
The Ducks added a run in both the fifth and sixth inning before a three-run seventh put the lead out of hand — with the way Sokolksy was pitching, any more run support was superfluous.
McCoy, off to a blistering start to her collegiate career with a team-best .464 batting average, tacked on an RBI single in the seventh.
And Braiesey Rosa — who replaced Emma Cox behind the dish after an early-season injury — drove in two more on an error.
Any pitcher for the Ducks probably could have sealed the win, but head coach Melyssa Lombardi allowed Sokolsky to keep going, and rested her bullpen.
Though its record is hardly flawless — a loss to these same Beavers being one of the Ducks three losses — Oregon has established itself as one of the nation’s premier programs.
The Ducks will look to continue their remarkable season as they host Michigan (27-9, 6-1 Big Ten) at the Jane. The Wolverines and Oregon will face off for the first time since 2013, with the games being Michigan’s first-ever games played in the state of Oregon.
