Kaylynn Jones said Rylee McCoy was back after last night’s game. McCoy backed those words up in the final game of the weekend against Samford University. She had two hits and a two-run blast in the Ducks’ 18-2 run-rule win. McCoy’s bat looks to have finally awoken from its slumber. 

No. 18 Oregon softball finished up play in the Oregon Classic on Sunday afternoon against Samford. The Ducks continued in their slugging ways, this time bludgeoning the Bulldogs with 18 runs over four innings of offense. Seven different Ducks batters recorded an extra base hit, nine batters recorded an RBI and all but three had a hit on the day. The offense that fans heard so much about going into the season seems to have found its groove.

“I think this line up is lethal,” head coach Melyssa Lombardi said in the post game. “I think anybody can come in. I’ve been talking about our power since the fall and I believe in that power.”

Maddie Milhorn got her second start of the season to round off the weekend. She gave up a walk and an absolute mammoth shot into left field from Olivia Shaw, one that hit in the upper quarter of the safety netting. The Bulldogs were up 2-0 early. 

“If someone gets on us, we know how to answer back,” Amari Harper said. “One inning doesn’t make a whole game.”

Milhorn walked the next batter before a conference was called between umpires and coaches. Coming out of the delay, Milhorn gave up another hit and her day was done. Taylour Spencer took over and inherited the runners on first and second with one out. Spencer shut the door, striking out both batters she faced. 

The Ducks started their frame with walks to Ayanna Shaw and Kaylynn Jones. Rylee McCoy, who picked up just her second hit on the season last night, delivered for the Ducks. A missile into left field sailed over the fence, and McCoy gave the Ducks the lead on her first home  run of the season. 

“I really felt the trust from my coaches and all of my teammates,” McCoy said about how she felt in her time between hits. “That’s what allowed me to play the way I did today.”

Harper roped a double, Taryn Ho walked and Emma Cox was drilled off the side of her knee. Stefini Ma’ake had Ducks on the pond, and was able to capitalize on a fly out to right that drove in Harper. The next batter, Katie Flannery, drew a walk, and ball four was a wild pitch that scored Ho from third. 

Up for the second time in the inning, Shaw singled to the right of the second base bag, Cox scored from second and the Ducks were up 6-2 after hitting around in the first. Oregon loaded up the bases again on a Jones walk, her second of the inning. That was all though after Butler grounded out to the mound to end the one-hour long first inning. 

The Ducks went back to work in the second. Oregon started by getting drilled in back-to-back at bats, and a 5-4 sacrifice bunt from Ho gave Cox runners on second and third with one out. Cox laced a two run double to right field and, with a nice swim move on the slide at second base, was called safe.

Another double to the same part of the field, this time from Ma’ake, scored Cox and the Ducks looked like they could be on the way to another run-rule victory and it was only the second. Ma’ake made it up to third on a Flannery single, then scored on a ground out from Shaw. Oregon ended the second inning up 10-2. 

“It’s honestly very relaxed,” Harper said about the feeling in the Ducks dugout. “Knowing that one through nine, regardless of who’s in, that we can produce consistently.”

Spencer had the run support that she needed, but it may not have mattered. She was shutting down the Samford offense, only allowing one baserunner through the third and striking out three. 

McCoy had definitely flipped a switch after breaking her slump. She drove her second double of the weekend into left field giving Harper second and third with nobody out and she promptly smacked a single up the middle to drive in Butler from third. Cox came up with the bases loaded and drove in the Ducks 12th run via a sacrifice fly to center field. 

Rowan Thompson made her second appearance of the season, taking over for Spencer (2.2 IP, 1 BB, 3K) in the top of the fourth. Two batters reached but none scored.

The Ducks, though, were not letting up at the plate. Jones singled, her third time reaching on the day, Butler walked, and Abby Steffen got her first career hit with a seed to the shortstop, who barely stopped the bounding ball from reaching the outfield.

Ho roped a two run double into the gap in left center which rolled out the wall. The Ducks, who were already running away with the game, were now in beat down territory up 14-2. Remington Hewitt added to that lead with a two run, line drive double of her own into the left field corner. 

Another Ducks double, this time from Addison Amaral that landed just out of the reach of the diving left fielder, drove in Hewitt. In the bottom of the fourth, the score read 17-2 Oregon. Jones made it 18-2 with a single to score Amaral. When the fourth was over, the Ducks put up a six spot, their second six run inning in the game.

“She’s (Jones) is understanding how she’s getting pitched, and then determining if she wants to do a power slap, a soft slap or if she just wants to stand in and drive the ball,” Lombardi said about Jones’ hitting this season. 

The game was put to bed after Thompson sat down the Bulldogs in the top of the fifth. Oregon run-ruled Samford for the second time in two days, this time putting up 18 runs for a whopping 26 total runs between the two games.

Oregon will be taking on their rival in Oregon State on Wednesday in Corvallis. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and KWVA.