No. 21 Oregon softball continued its hot start to the season, defeating Dayton 9-0 in Houston. The Ducks’ lopsided win is one in a string of victories, as Oregon is now 9-0 on the season. 

After a scoreless first inning, Oregon got on the board in the second, earning two runs, both contributed to by Vallery Wong, who had both an RBI and a run scored.  The Ducks held their two-run lead into the fourth inning when Oregon scored two more runs to take a 4-0 lead. In the fifth and sixth inning, the Ducks put the game away scoring a combined five runs. 

The inflection point of the game was when Rachel Cid belted out a walk-off three-run home run to induce the run rule in the sixth inning to cap off a dominant performance by Oregon. Cid had a strong performance for the Ducks, earning two hits in four at-bats. Cid did not have the only homer in the game, as Ariel Carlson had a two-run home run as well. 

On the pitching side, Samaria Diaz is now undefeated on the year, with a 4-0 record. Diaz threw for eight strikeouts and zero walks in a game in which she allowed only four hits. The senior transfer from New Mexico State has provided a boost for the Ducks in the pitching department this season.

The Ducks will take a short break before traveling to Cathedral City, California to compete in the Mary Nutter College Classic on Feb. 20-22.