Oregon softball coach Melyssa Lombardi wasn’t lying when she said the team would look different this year. The Ducks took the field in Fullerton, California on Thursday to play Ole Miss in their first game of the season, sending out a lineup with less familiar faces.
Jasmine Williams and Rachel Cid sat out, giving way to newcomers Paige Sinicki and KK Humphreys at shortstop and third base. On the mound, Makenna Kliethermes got the start instead of last year’s workhorse Brooke Yanez. The leadoff spot, formerly occupied by Haley Cruse, was inhabited by catcher Terra McGowan.
Sinicki and Kliethermes took advantage of their opportunity to shine. A two-run single by Sinicki and a dominant pitching performance from Kliethermes was enough to secure a season-opening 3-0 victory for Oregon. McGowan and Hanna Delgado also recorded multiple hits, while the Ducks got a glimpse of some of their newest faces.
Sinicki delivered immediately. After singles from McGowan and Delgado, the freshman came through with a two-run single in her first collegiate at-bat. She also bunted for a single in the fifth, securing a multi-hit evening.
It was a successful first impression for Sinicki, who Lombardi recently named “the female Pete Rose.” True to the label, she hustled and stole a base as well.
Right out of the gate, Kliethermes was able to quiet an Ole Miss offense that beat Dixie State 10-1 earlier Thursday. She settled in after a one-out walk in the first inning to mow through the Rebels’ lineup. She struck out seven consecutive batters, routinely keeping them off balance and replicating the dominant form she showed glimpses of last season.
Humphreys joined Sinicki in collecting her first hit in an Oregon uniform, smacking a single in the third. It may have felt like a home game for the Cal State Fullerton transfer, as the game was played at Anderson Field — home of the CSUF Titans.
The Ducks got a well-rounded look at their newcomers. Senior transfer Karissa Ornelas pinch-hit for freshman Kai Luschar after just one at-bat, recording her first Oregon hit with a single in the seventh. Freshman pitcher Allison Benning then made her collegiate debut — as a hitter. Ole Miss ended the inning with a caught stealing before Benning was able to complete her at-bat.
Oregon stranded runners in scoring position in the second, third, fourth and fifth innings, coming up short of adding to the 2-0 lead.
But there was no need for the Ducks to sweat with Kliethermes on the mound. She kept rolling, racking up 12 strikeouts through six hitless innings. Ole Miss simply could not touch her high heater.
Hanna Delgado gave Oregon insurance in the sixth with an RBI single that made it 3-0.
The Rebels finally recorded their first hit when Bre Roper laced a leadoff single in the seventh, as Kliethermes fell just short of the second no-hitter of her career. Roper was the same batter who drew that walk against Kliethermes in the first.
Kliethermes walked the next batter, earning a mound visit from Lombardi. She immediately settled down after that, striking out the final three batters to cap the complete game shutout. She ended the night with 15 strikeouts, tying her career high.
The Ducks (1-0) will return to action Friday with a noon doubleheader against CSUN in Northridge, California.
