On a night of imperfection in most facets of its game, No. 5 Oregon (33-3, 7-1 Big Ten) found a way to win again anyway.
A ball glanced off Paige Sinicki’s glove? It didn’t matter.
A usually–powerful offense limped through five innings with just two runs and some costly base-running errors. All of those things could have spelled trouble in Oregon’s win over Michigan.
Instead, spurred by Rylee McCoy’s RBI single, the Ducks mounted a stirring 3-2 win that pushed their record to 33-3, the best of any team in the Big Ten.
“I just wanted to get it done for them,” McCoy said of her teammates. “Our pitchers got it done all day and the opportunity came, and I just wanted to get it done for them.”
Along with McCoy, Lyndsey Grein keyed the win. She struck out the side in both the first and third innings and continued to show why she is one of the best pitchers in the country.
“Knowing Michigan and knowing who they are, we knew that was going to be like the postseason,” head coach Melyssa Lombardi said.
Most importantly, Grein buckled down late and didn’t let Maddie Erickson’s homer and a sixth-inning solo shot from Jenissa Conway affect her more than just the two runs.
Elise Sokolsky entered after Conway’s blast and shut the door on the Wolverines’ comeback.
“I’d let up as many home runs as I need if I got to celebrate Elise like today,” Grein said. “It lets you breathe knowing your teammates are going to have your back.”
If there’s one common theme to the Ducks’ remarkable season, it’s been their ability to fight through every test and despite their impressive record, they continue to preach their self-imposed standard
“We win ball games like that,” Sinicki said. “When we are all bought into the standard and the culture.”
It certainly wasn’t the game the Ducks would have hoped for.
One of the first blunders of the night came when a ball glanced off Sinicki’s glove and was ruled a hit to begin the fourth inning. Five batters later, Erickson blasted a long homer to left off Grein.
Another costly moment came when, after opening the fifth with a hit-by-pitch, Ayanna Shaw was thrown out after a Kaylynn Jones missed bunt.
But none of the mistakes would matter for an Oregon team that continues to find ways to win.
Instead, led by a Katie Flannery solo homer, a Stefini Ma’ake groundout and McCoy’s clutch single, the Ducks did just enough.
“We talk about our athletes, talking about picking each other up,” Lombardi said. “But our fans, they do that too.”
The Ducks are an imperfect team, but 36 games into the season, no one has found a consistent blueprint for beating their best-in-the-conference roster yet.
“That was electric,” Sinicki said. “Like coach said, that was like a super-regional game.”
