Oregon Softball Scores Big Series Win vs UCLA

Via Oregon Communications (Rob Moseley)

With two weeks left in the Big Ten Conference regular season, the Ducks are in the driver’s seat.

The No. 5 Oregon softball team completed a series win over No. 6 UCLA at Jane Sanders Stadium in emphatic fashion on Sunday, run-ruling the Bruins in five innings, 9-0. After winning a tightly contested opening game Friday, the Ducks bounced back from a one-sided loss Saturday by being the better team in all facets Sunday.

“I loved it,” UO coach Melyssa Lombardi said. “Their preparation, their process all year put them in a great position to do what they needed to do. This team has done a good job of not getting too high, too low … just a very mature team.”

The Ducks (41-5, 14-2 Big Ten) got five shutout innings from Lyndsey Grein (25-1), had eight players score or drive in at least one run, and played spectacular defense — Gold Glover Paige Sinicki sparkled at shortstop, and Kedre Luschar ended the game by catching a flyball in center field before gunning it to third to cut down an advancing runner for the double play.

That capped Oregon’s first run-rule win over the Bruins since the 2015 season, and the third ever by the Ducks in the history of the matchup.

“This is huge,” Luschar said. “I think we all just wanted it so much, and we all worked together — every single person. We were hungry for it.”

The victory put Oregon a game ahead of UCLA with two more regular-season series left in conference play. The Ducks are on the road next, at Indiana, before closing out the regular season by hosting Michigan State on May 2-3. Then it’s on the conference tournament, and potentially an extended postseason run.

“We haven’t set a ceiling — that’s the scary part about the Ducks,” said Grein, who hasn’t allowed a run in 28 innings against top-25 competition this season. “There’s no ceiling for us. We go in day in and day out and we give our hundred (percent). That’s the standard and we really dive into that. It’s what our coaches demand from us, and that’s just how we roll. Work hard, play hard, reach for the stars and see what happens.”

How It Happened: Grein set the tone in the circle, striking out the first two hitters during a 1-2-3 top of the first. Then, an Oregon offense that has sometimes been slow to get started raced out of the gate.

Kai Luschar was hit by a pitch to open the bottom of the first and advanced on a wild pitch. She scored on a single by Rylee McCoy, and three batters later Sinicki singled in McCoy for a 2-0 lead.

Kaylynn Jones, who would hit her first career homer later in the game, helped Grein face the minimum again in the second. With one out and a runner on first, Jones fielded a groundball from her second base position, tagged the runner from first and threw out the batter for Oregon’s first of three double plays in the game.

Kai Luschar reached again to lead off the third, with similar results. After stealing second, she scored when her sister Kedre Luschar drove a triple into left-center field. A groundball to third by Emma Cox followed, Luschar got into a rundown and a throwing error by the Bruins allowed her to score and make it 4-0.

“We just had a chip on our shoulders,” Luschar said. “We were relentless today.”

Grein got more help from her defense in the fourth. Sinicki got it started by fielding a hot shot to shortstop and throwing out the runner. After a single and a walk put two on with one out, Sinicki made a diving play on a liner for the second out, then flipped the ball from her glove to Jones at second for the double play to end the inning.

“Our defense and Paige (specifically), they’re outstanding,” Grein said. “If you guys could see the work that goes into their performance, when it comes game time they’re just showcasing what they can do. They’re absolutely amazing.”

Jones hit her first homer in the bottom of the fourth. After a single by Ayanna Shaw and a walk to Katie Flannery, Jones lofted a ball to right-center that carried out for a three-run homer and a 7-0 lead.

“It was great,” Jones said. “I was just trying to focus on a sac fly, trying to score our runners, and just to have that feeling of hitting it out felt great.”

Kai Luschar followed with a walk and stole second. McCoy doubled to plate her, and a single by Kedre Luschar plated pinch runner Regan Legg for a 9-0 lead.

Grein faced the minimum one last time in the top of the fifth to secure the run-rule win. After a one-out double, Luschar ended the game with her double play by throwing out the runner trying to advance to third after a catch in center field.

Notable: Sunday’s game was preceded by a moment of silence to honor the victims of a car crash Friday that killed a player and coach from Umpqua Community College. … Grein recorded her 400th career strikeout during the game. … Kai Luschar stole two bases to reach 48 for the season, moving her into third all-time in Big Ten single-season history. … The Ducks stole four bases as a team Sunday, giving them 145 — also third all-time in Big Ten history.

Up Next: The Ducks open a three-game series at Indiana on Sunday (3 p.m., B1G+).