“What an unbelievable weekend,” Oregon head coach Melyssa Lombardi said.

And it was. Oregon swept the Huskies, who were previously undefeated in conference play. The return of pitcher Elise Sokolsky was phenomenal, the defense put on a clinic and the offense was palpable.

Each of the three cylinders was on display and firing at full power to put Washington away as No. 18 Oregon (35-9, 16-2 Big Ten) finished up its series against the No. 20 Huskies (34-12, 15-3 Big Ten) with a 3-1 victory Sunday afternoon and secured the sweep.

Oregon had another great day in the field, Elon Butler showed off her cannon arm again and Katie Flannery was a difference maker at third. Butler also had a great day at the plate, socking two home runs that gave the Ducks the runs they needed to push past the Huskies in the final game of the series. 

Grein (5 IP, 0 ER, 3 K) started again, the third game in a row for the senior from Illinois. She went seven full and struck out 10 in the first outing, went only one and gave up a lead off home run in Game 2, but went out in the finale and delivered five innings of four hit shutout softball for the Ducks.

“Everyone’s going to get my best that I have for that day,” Grein said. “Respect all but fear none and then just put on the gas.”

Flannery’s defense was back on display. On her first play, she snagged a rocket behind the bag with her backhand and fired a nice one-hop dart to Stefini Ma’ake at first base to end the inning. Then, in the third, she fielded a bunt barehanded between the circle and home plate. She lasered the off balance throw to Kaylynn Jones, who covered first to beat the runner by a hair. 

“She is like a freaking backstop and will make sure to knock it down,” Harper said. 

Flannery made the exact same play, down to the ball placement, again in the fourth inning. 

“Katie’s outstanding at what she does,” Grein said. 

From a run saved to the first Ducks tally, the third inning belonged to Butler.

The senior kept Washington off the board in the top of the third with another display of sheer arm power. She caught a fly ball in foul territory, then heaved another cannon of a throw to the plate that kept Giselle Alvarez, who didn’t want to be the third Butler victim weekend on the base paths. 

“That feeling, that adrenaline rush, just feels so amazing when you’re like, ‘Oh yeah, she’s hosed,’” Butler said.

Butler, who was to that point hitless in the series and had not reached base, launched her 50th career homerun to start the Ducks’ half of the third inning.

“I thought I was seeing the ball really well the entire weekend,” Butler said. “I just think I had to just let loose a bit. And, honestly, just trusting myself and trusting it to work.”

Despite the blast, the overall offense was nonexistent for Oregon in the final game of the series. They had only amassed three hits over four innings including the Butler homerun, and had left a total of three runners on base. 

Washington’s Sophia Ramuno (5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER) bounced back well from her previous outing on Friday, one where she went only a third of an inning and gave up the sixth-inning grand slam to Emma Cox. Ramuno was excellent this time around. Despite the one run she gave up, Ramuno got the Ducks to get themselves out, mostly with ground balls and pop ups, and the occasional lineout.

Butler tagged Ramuno again in the bottom of the fifth and quickly got her 51st career shot. A laser beam to centerfield that drilled the first row of The Bob gave the Ducks a much-needed insurance run.

Grein started to show some cracks in the top of the sixth, and Lombardi decided her day was done. Sokolsky (2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER) made her second appearance in the series and turned an incredible double play.

“I’m just so happy that she’s back out pitching. She’s just so fun to watch,” Grein said. 

Ava Carroll hit a screaming line drive right back to Sokolsky’s head. With lightning quick reactions, Sokolsky fired her mitt up to snag the missile up the middle. What was even more impressive was the mental wherewithal to then turn around and throw a strike to Jones at second base to double off the runner and get the double play. 

Harper got every last stitch of a 2-2 pitch and joined her teammate with a solo blast of her own. Harper’s shot went out of the stadium, through the tree in right-center field beyond the iron fence that surrounds Jane Sanders Stadium. It may have left a jetstream.

“It was just a big release of energy,” Harper said. “I just wanted to do something big for the team, whether that was a walk or get something through on a line. But, just knowing that I was able to do that was awesome.”

Sokolsky gave up a high arching solo shot to Melody Acevedo with two outs in the seventh inning, but bounced right back to get a ground out to Ho that ended the game. The Ducks won 3-1, swept their rivals and passed them in the Big Ten standings.

“The sweep is big, it puts us in a great position to win the Big Ten,” Butler said. “I’m so proud of this team and the way that we’ve grown and developed.”

Oregon will be back for a midweek game against Oregon State at Jane Sanders Stadium on Wednesday at 6 p.m. The game will be broadcast via Big Ten Plus (video) and KWVA (radio).