The Loyola Marymount University Lions (17-20, 2-0 WCC) handed the No. 6 Ducks (35-4, 9-1 Big Ten) a painful 5-3 upset loss in Eugene’s Jane Sanders Stadium on Monday afternoon.
“We just didn’t do enough today,” head coach Melyssa Lombardi said postgame. “We’ve got to go back and debrief a little bit and figure out why that happened.”
Oregon rode into Monday’s one-game affair on a wave of momentum. The Ducks had won their last nine games, and most recently bagged three home wins over a talented Michigan Wolverines squad (27-12, 6-4 Big Ten).
Though Loyola Marymount entered Jane Sanders Stadium with a losing record, the Lions stood on the verge of newfound momentum. They’d recently swept conference competitors Oregon State (14-15, 0-2 WCC) in a shortened two-game away series. Sunday’s clash between the two West Coast Conference competitors was cancelled due to weather.
Sophomore right-hander Taylour Spencer started on the mound for the Ducks. She entered Monday’s contest with a 3-1 record and a 1.95 ERA across 32.1 innings pitched. On the mound for the Lions was redshirt freshman right-hander Angela Carrera, who had yet to record a win or loss in three previous appearances.
Oregon held LMU hitless to start the first inning, allowing the Ducks to quickly impose their own offense. Senior Kai Luschar reached first base on balls to open the Ducks’ first half-inning and promptly stole second. Moments later, Luschar crossed home when fellow senior Paige Sinicki singled on a bunt which LMU failed to field properly.
Sinicki then stole second herself, which marked a program-best 127 total stolen bases this year. She later scored on an RBI groundout from sophomore Katie Flannery to make the score 2-0 after one inning.
“Our speed on the basepath gives us opportunities to win every single game,” Lombardi said.
The Lions battled back in the second, and tallied a pair of extra-base hits to right field and ultimately converted both into runs. Freshman third baseman Emma Gutierrez knocked a two-run homer into left field, which made the score 4-2 Lions. With LMU surging, Oregon switched Spencer for Lyndsey Grein, who earned a strikeout to close the inning.
In the bottom of the third, Luschar earned another walk and got another steal. That steal, her 42nd of the season, broke Suzie Barnes’ record for single-season steals. Luschar then cruised home from second following a deep flyout from Rylee McCoy to make it 4-3 Ducks.
“Kai is a senior and she’s walking away on her own terms,” Lombardi said of Luschar’s record-breaking season. “It’s such a big accomplishment.”
Despite allowing a run, LMU fought back. Sophomore Kealani Caster homered to left in the top of the fourth to reestablish the Lions’ two-run lead. Junior righty Lindsay O’Dell took over for Carrera on the mound and held Oregon scoreless in the following half-inning.
Neither team would score in the fifth inning, and Grein forced three flyouts in a scoreless top of the sixth. Oregon advanced a runner to second base in the bottom of the sixth, but the Ducks were unable to capitalize, as DH Stefini Ma’ake lined out to center field.
With two on and one out in the seventh, Luschar grounded to LMU shortstop Analiah Lummus, who tossed the ball to third to hold baserunners. Senior righty Jessica Hubbard stepped in for O’Dell with one out remaining. With Hubbard on the mound, Sinicki flew out to center field, finalizing a 5-3 Lions victory.
O’Dell earned the win for LMU, pushing her season record to 9-10. Spencer was given the loss and now sits at 3-2 on the year. Hubbard earned the save — her fourth of the season.
“Will we grow from this? 100 percent,” Lombardi said. “I know this game right here will do big, big things for us. I hate for this to happen, but we weren’t good enough today.”
The Ducks will travel to Minneapolis later this week for a three-game series with the Minnesota Golden Gophers (14-23, 3-10 Big Ten). Friday’s series opener is set to air at 3:00 p.m.
