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No. 21 Oregon upends No. 7 Tennessee in extra innings

Screenshot 2024-07-31 at 7.46.34 PMby:Brady Vernon•02/20/25•

BradyVernon

Screenshot 2025-02-20 at 4.31.02 PM
Crash Kamon/Softball America

Oregon’s best offense against Karlyn Pickens at times was swinging and missing. The Ducks found one hit against Tennessee’s ace and yet found a way to win 1-0 in eight innings.

Even with International Tie Breaker in effect, Tennessee failed to score a run in the top half of the eighth inning. Oregon, needing to plate one run to win, moved its runner to third on a sacrifice bunt. Tennesee walked the bases loaded to create a force out at any base. That didn’t end up mattering. Despite Pickens forcing Braiesey Rosa to whiff on a pitch, it passed Sophia Nugent, allowing the game-winning run to score.

The Ducks’ duo of Elise Sokolsky and Lyndsey Grein deserve their own flowers. Sokolsky didn’t allow a hit until the fourth going pitch-for-pitch against Pickens. She ran into trouble in the fifth, however, allowing back-to-back two-out singles. Oregon turned to Grein out of the bullpen but she walked the first batter she faced. She responded by striking out Gabby Leach to strand the bases loaded.

Grein ended her outing throwing 3.1 hitless innings with five strikeouts. She was brilliant the entire day as she picked up the win against Cal earlier in the day throwing 3.1 scoreless innings, in total she allowed one hit in 6.2 innings on Thursday.

The Tennessee lineup, which was without McKenna Gibson, struggled again against a high-end team as it did against Nebraska the first weekend of the season. The Lady Vols will have another chance against UCLA coming up at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.

Pickens was masterful throughout the game. The only hit she allowed was a single to Dezianna Patmon in the seventh that squirted the diving Alannah Leach’s glove. Patmon moved over to third via a passed ball and wild pitch but Oregon failed to score her despite having no outs.

Pickens struck out 13 batters and made Oregon batters appear completely foolish. Yet as we’ve seen in the past, the offense and defense failed to support their star pitcher. The Ducks walk away with a statement win, while the Lady Vols have to answer a few questions.

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