It was the type of game where the goals were fairly simple: get plenty of reps, avoid injury and improve as much as possible.
In their 16-2 win over Southern Utah, the Ducks tackled their goals as much as possible against a severely — Oregon beat the Eagles 18-6 less than 24 hours prior — overmatched opponent.
The Ducks’ six-run, first-inning lead soon swelled to 10 just a few batters into the third frame, and neither of the six pitchers Southern Utah used really had any luck against the talented Oregon offense. Oregon hung at least two runs on all three arms the Eagles utilized and took advantage of six free passes on the day.
There really wasn’t anything for the Ducks to worry about over their first of two games on the afternoon. Head coach Melyssa Lombardi’s squad hit .467 on the day, was 9-18 with runners in scoring position and was 4-5 leading off innings.
Staked to that massive early lead, Lyndsey Grein’s job was simple: throw strikes, limit baserunners and attack the Eagles’ offense. She went on to retire 12 of 18 batters, allowing just two hits and fanning three. After a rough start to her season yesterday, Elise Sokolsky came in and allowed a run in the final frame.
Grein has now allowed two runs (she threw four innings in the season-opener) over her first eight innings as a Duck.
And much like her first outing, it helped that she was pitching with a massive lead.
When Grein stepped into the circle, she already had a six-run advantage. Oregon’s offense took little time getting going with Paige Sinicki’s (2-3) two-run double headlining a six-run first.
More runs came in the third as Kai Luschar, Kalynn Jones and Stefani Ma’ake each added RBI singles. The Ducks added on in the fourth as Katie Flannery drove in a pair on a knock to left before knocking a three-run single in the fifth to end the scoring on the day.
Six different Ducks drove in runners, with Flannery’s (2-3) six RBI’s leading the way.
Jones and Kai Luschar were both 3-4 at the top of the lineup for the Ducks. Sinicki and Flannery both recorded two knocks as well.
The score was so out of hand against the Eagles that Lombardi was able to substitute freely, getting reserve players and freshmen important game experience. Oregon’s 55 runs in a 3-game span is a new school record.
The Ducks takes on a tougher opponent in UNLV later on Saturday at 3 p.m.
