No. 18 Oregon softball in the second day of the Mary Nutter classic has nearly an identical performance as Thursday: Ace Lyndsey Grein shoves in 2-1 Oregon win against South Carolina, and the Ducks bats don’t come to life as they lose 7-3 against Cal State Fullerton.

Game 1: Oregon 2 South Carolina 1

“If ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” is how the old saying goes, and Lyndsey Grein certainly isn’t broken. After yesterday’s stellar performance (6.1, 5 H, 1 R, 4 Ks) in the win against Texas A&M, Oregon sent Grein back out to start the game against No. 22 South Carolina. 

Katie Flannery got Oregon on the board in the second inning with a two run two out single. The Ducks were battling at the plate, working the count against Gamecocks starting pitcher Jori Heard to start the game. Heard was up to 36 pitches by the end of the third and if the Ducks could put in another inning of the same work the Gamecocks would have to go to their bullpen early.

Grein struck out two batters in the second, and Shae Anderson was the victim for Grein’s 500th career strikeout to end the inning.

The game was stagnant on offense after the Ducks scored in the second. The Gamecocks were getting shut-down by Grein, and the Ducks were going quickly and quietly at the plate. Insurance runs were something the Ducks were going to need to give Grein. Keeping the bullpen as quiet as possible for the second game in a row would give Oregon the best chance at sweeping the day.

South Carolina cut the lead in half in the bottom of the fifth when Tori Ensle drilled a ball out to left center field for the Gamecocks first hit and first run in the game. 

The Ducks loaded the bases with nobody out in the sixth and they did not get it done: a lineout to shortstop, a pop up to shortstop and a strike out looking squandered Oregon’s best opportunity against South Carolina. The Ducks were 1/11 with runners in scoring position through the sixth.

A one out double from Quincee Lilio (pinch run by Lexie Shaver) chased Grein in the bottom of the sixth. Maddie Milhorn replaced her, tasked with stranding the runner. Grein finished the day with 5.1 innings pitched, two hits and one earned run with six strikeouts.

Emma Cox slammed the door on the Gamecocks chance to tie the game. She caught Shaver at second base when she was too far off the bag and threw a dart to back pick Shaver and end the frame. 

The Ducks got through the game with two pitchers, and Milhorn for only an inning and two thirds, getting the 5 out save for a 2-1 Oregon win.

Game 2: Oregon 7 Cal State Fullerton 3

Eva Hurtado started the game for Cal State Fullerton, a pitcher that the Ducks faced in both their 7-3 win and their 5-4 win against the Titans in the Cardinal Classic. Oregon got to Hurtado in both games and it tagged her for a total of six runs on seven hits.

Elise Sokolsky took the circle for the Ducks. Sokolsky appeared in both games against the Titans in the Cardinal Classic, and she was the winning pitcher in the 7-3 Oregon win. Sokolsky went 4.2 innings and struck out five in that game.

The Ducks looked poised to score in the top of the third. One out and the bases loaded, Abby Steffen was caught looking and Addison Amaral grounded out to shortstop. On the day, the Ducks had yet to have that big hit come in a key moment. 

The Ducks folded first and surrendered the lead to the Titans. The Titans had two on with two out, and a groundball that was slightly bobbled by Ducks shortstop Taryn Ho ended up plating two runners. 

Not satisfied with a two run lead, Alexia Lopez crushed a two run homerun to right center field. The Titans chased Sokolsky for Taylour Spencer. Nataly Lozano continued the Titan’s bombardment of Oregon, opening their frame of the fourth with a solo tank to left field. 

The Ducks finally cracked the scoreboard in the fifth via a basesloaded walk, sacrifice fly and a basehit from Rosa that cut the Titans lead to two.

Milhorn came in in the bottom of the sixth to relieve Spencer. Milhorn gave up two more runs and the Titans pulled back ahead to a 7-3 lead. 

The Ducks went in order to end the game. They left seven runners on base against the Titans, 17 runners on the day and finished day two with a 1-1 record.

Oregon finishes up the Mary Nutter Classic against No. 14 Duke University Saturday morning at 9:30am P.T.. The game can be watched on FloCollege or listened to on KWVA.