Saturday, February 15
Phoenix, AZ
9:30 AM
University of Oregon
8-1
7
vs
1
Utah Valley
2-6
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Utah Valley
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
4
1
Oregon
2
0
4
1
0
0
X
7
7
0
Photo by: Jayden Todd
Pitching, Power Flex in Saturday Sweep
02/15/25 | Softball
PHOENIX – Stefini Ma'ake hit three home runs and had seven RBI, while No. 21 Oregon's pitching staff gave up just one run over 14.0 innings as the Ducks defeated Utah Valley, 7-1, and Grand Canyon, 4-0, Saturday at GCU Stadium. Ma'ake has five home runs and 10 RBIs through the first five games of the Littlewood Classic and has homered in four straight games.
"I love the way they competed," said coach Melyssa Lombardi, who passed Tami Brown (192/1990-96) for third on the UO career coaching wins list with 194. "I thought that was our most complete game of the season.
"Our defense was exceptional. Our offense just kept picking away and broke through with some runs and I loved the performance of our staff. This team is going to be really, really tough to beat when we're doing that. I loved how our offense and defense fed of each other."
The Ducks set one more scoring record on Saturday. The seven runs in the Utah Valley game gave Oregon 101 runs in nine games, three runs better than the previous mark of 98 set during the 2017 season. The Ducks fell just short of the 10-game mark, 106 runs in 2017, by a run.
How It Happened Game 1 (Oregon 7, Utah Valley 1): Ma'ake hit a home run and had four RBI to back a solid pitching performance by three Duck hurlers.
After Taylour Spencer retired the side in order in the top of the first inning, Kai Luschar sparked a two-run rally.
She beat out an infield single, stole second and third and then scored on Emma Cox's RBI groundout. Ma'ake made it 2-0 with an RBI single into center that scored Kaylynn Jones, who had walked previously. The two stolen bases were Luschar's 16th and 17th of the season.
Utah Valley loaded the bases with one out in the top of the second and Lyndsey Grein stepped into the circle in relief of Spencer and stranded all three runners. She induced a shallow pop up to center and then struck out Avery Sapp to end the threat.
The Ducks broke the game open with four runs in the sixth inning on back-to-back home runs.
Luschar walked and stole second – her third steal of the game and NCAA-best 18th of the season – and Emma Cox walked. Ma'ake belted her team-leading fourth home run of the season deep over the wall in left centerfield for a 5-0 lead. Dezianna Patmon followed with a home run that cleared the fence in nearly the same place as Ma'ake's to give Oregon a 6-0 advantage.
Oregon added one more run in the fourth inning, Kedre Luschar singled up the middle and advanced to second when pinch-runner Presley Lawton was thrown out at third on the play. Kedre Luschar advanced to third on a wild pitch and then scored on the second wild pitch of the inning.
The Wolverines (2-6) scratched out a run on two hits in the top of the fifth, but that was the only blemish allowed by Oregon pitching. Spencer opened the game and went 1.1 innings.
Grein relieved with one out in the second inning and gave up one run on three hits in three innings and struck out five to improve to 4-0 on the season. Elise Sokolsky pitched the final 2.2 innings and didn't allow a hit.
How It Happened Game 2 (Oregon 4, Grand Canyon 0): Three pitchers combined to throw a four-hit shutout, while Ma'ake homered twice as the Ducks won a battle of 8-1 teams.
Pitching dominated early as neither team was able to scratch out a hit through the first three innings.
Ma'ake changed things with one swing of the bat in the top of the fourth. On the first pitch she saw from Taryn Batterton, Ma'ake hit a screaming line drive over the right field wall and the Ducks led 1-0. It was her second homer of the day.
The offense broke through for three more runs in the top of the sixth. Ayanna Shaw led off with a single through the right side and stole second base.
"I was just thinking get on base, do my job," said Shaw. "I know I have big hitters behind me who can hit me in."
She advanced to third on Kai Luschar's ground out and Patmon walked. Emma Cox brought Shaw home on a grounder to the right side. That set the stage for Ma'ake's theatrics.
Ma'ake again went after the first pitch she saw from Batterton and launched one of the longest home runs of the season to straightaway center field to double Oregon's lead to 4-0.
"I was just thinking see ball, hit ball and not letting the pitcher get to my weakness," said Ma'ake of her third dinger of the day. "Coming to home plate and seeing all the girls jumping around really made the night."
That was more than enough for the Ducks' pitching staff. Spencer threw the first 1.2 innings and struck out five. Sokolsky relieved in the second inning and fanned seven while giving up just four hits in 4.2 innings to improve to 2-0.
Grein came out of the pen for the save. With one out in the seventh inning and two runners on, she got a strike out for the second out of the inning. Gold Glover Paige Sinicki ended the game by snaring a ball hit up the middle and flipping a throw behind her for the force out at second.
Notable: Ma'ake became the first Duck to homer in four straight games since Vallery Wong in 2021 … Kai Luschar moved up another spot on the UO career steals list with three on Saturday. She passed Courtney Ceo (65/2011-14) for sixth with 66. She has a nation-leading 18 stolen bases this season … As a team, Oregon collected eight more stolen bases on Saturday to give them an NCAA-best 53 steals on the year … Sinicki made her 138th and 139th consecutive starts at shortstop … Rylee McCoy had a hit in both games to extend her hitting streak to four games … Spencer has yet to allow an earned run on 10.1 innings.
Quotable:
Outfielder Ayanna Shaw on Stefini Ma'ake's home runs
"I don't have to look at the ball. I know it's gone and we're running out to the field to meet her at home plate."
Pitcher Elise Sokolsky
"I could really just feel the energy on offense and defensive behind me. I knew I was going to do my part because I knew they were going to come in with some runs at some point."
Up Next: Oregon wraps up the Littlewood Classic Sunday at 8 a.m. PT versus Belmont at GCU Softball Stadium.
- www.GoDucks.com -
"I love the way they competed," said coach Melyssa Lombardi, who passed Tami Brown (192/1990-96) for third on the UO career coaching wins list with 194. "I thought that was our most complete game of the season.
"Our defense was exceptional. Our offense just kept picking away and broke through with some runs and I loved the performance of our staff. This team is going to be really, really tough to beat when we're doing that. I loved how our offense and defense fed of each other."
The Ducks set one more scoring record on Saturday. The seven runs in the Utah Valley game gave Oregon 101 runs in nine games, three runs better than the previous mark of 98 set during the 2017 season. The Ducks fell just short of the 10-game mark, 106 runs in 2017, by a run.
How It Happened Game 1 (Oregon 7, Utah Valley 1): Ma'ake hit a home run and had four RBI to back a solid pitching performance by three Duck hurlers.
After Taylour Spencer retired the side in order in the top of the first inning, Kai Luschar sparked a two-run rally.
She beat out an infield single, stole second and third and then scored on Emma Cox's RBI groundout. Ma'ake made it 2-0 with an RBI single into center that scored Kaylynn Jones, who had walked previously. The two stolen bases were Luschar's 16th and 17th of the season.
Utah Valley loaded the bases with one out in the top of the second and Lyndsey Grein stepped into the circle in relief of Spencer and stranded all three runners. She induced a shallow pop up to center and then struck out Avery Sapp to end the threat.
The Ducks broke the game open with four runs in the sixth inning on back-to-back home runs.
Luschar walked and stole second – her third steal of the game and NCAA-best 18th of the season – and Emma Cox walked. Ma'ake belted her team-leading fourth home run of the season deep over the wall in left centerfield for a 5-0 lead. Dezianna Patmon followed with a home run that cleared the fence in nearly the same place as Ma'ake's to give Oregon a 6-0 advantage.
Oregon added one more run in the fourth inning, Kedre Luschar singled up the middle and advanced to second when pinch-runner Presley Lawton was thrown out at third on the play. Kedre Luschar advanced to third on a wild pitch and then scored on the second wild pitch of the inning.
The Wolverines (2-6) scratched out a run on two hits in the top of the fifth, but that was the only blemish allowed by Oregon pitching. Spencer opened the game and went 1.1 innings.
Grein relieved with one out in the second inning and gave up one run on three hits in three innings and struck out five to improve to 4-0 on the season. Elise Sokolsky pitched the final 2.2 innings and didn't allow a hit.
How It Happened Game 2 (Oregon 4, Grand Canyon 0): Three pitchers combined to throw a four-hit shutout, while Ma'ake homered twice as the Ducks won a battle of 8-1 teams.
Pitching dominated early as neither team was able to scratch out a hit through the first three innings.
Ma'ake changed things with one swing of the bat in the top of the fourth. On the first pitch she saw from Taryn Batterton, Ma'ake hit a screaming line drive over the right field wall and the Ducks led 1-0. It was her second homer of the day.
The offense broke through for three more runs in the top of the sixth. Ayanna Shaw led off with a single through the right side and stole second base.
"I was just thinking get on base, do my job," said Shaw. "I know I have big hitters behind me who can hit me in."
She advanced to third on Kai Luschar's ground out and Patmon walked. Emma Cox brought Shaw home on a grounder to the right side. That set the stage for Ma'ake's theatrics.
Ma'ake again went after the first pitch she saw from Batterton and launched one of the longest home runs of the season to straightaway center field to double Oregon's lead to 4-0.
"I was just thinking see ball, hit ball and not letting the pitcher get to my weakness," said Ma'ake of her third dinger of the day. "Coming to home plate and seeing all the girls jumping around really made the night."
That was more than enough for the Ducks' pitching staff. Spencer threw the first 1.2 innings and struck out five. Sokolsky relieved in the second inning and fanned seven while giving up just four hits in 4.2 innings to improve to 2-0.
Grein came out of the pen for the save. With one out in the seventh inning and two runners on, she got a strike out for the second out of the inning. Gold Glover Paige Sinicki ended the game by snaring a ball hit up the middle and flipping a throw behind her for the force out at second.
Notable: Ma'ake became the first Duck to homer in four straight games since Vallery Wong in 2021 … Kai Luschar moved up another spot on the UO career steals list with three on Saturday. She passed Courtney Ceo (65/2011-14) for sixth with 66. She has a nation-leading 18 stolen bases this season … As a team, Oregon collected eight more stolen bases on Saturday to give them an NCAA-best 53 steals on the year … Sinicki made her 138th and 139th consecutive starts at shortstop … Rylee McCoy had a hit in both games to extend her hitting streak to four games … Spencer has yet to allow an earned run on 10.1 innings.
Quotable:
Outfielder Ayanna Shaw on Stefini Ma'ake's home runs
"I don't have to look at the ball. I know it's gone and we're running out to the field to meet her at home plate."
Pitcher Elise Sokolsky
"I could really just feel the energy on offense and defensive behind me. I knew I was going to do my part because I knew they were going to come in with some runs at some point."
Up Next: Oregon wraps up the Littlewood Classic Sunday at 8 a.m. PT versus Belmont at GCU Softball Stadium.
- www.GoDucks.com -
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Grein, Lyndsey (4-0)
L: Sapp, A. (2-3)
Batting:
2B: Hall, P. 1
RBI: Hall, P. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Rodriguez, A 1
SB: Mann, A. 1
Batting:
HR: Ma'ake, Stefini 1 ; Patmon, Dezianna 1
RBI: Cox, Emma 1 ; Ma'ake, Stefini 4 ; Patmon, Dezianna 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Luschar, Kai 2 ; Jones, Kaylynn 1 ; Cox, Emma 1 ; Ma'ake, Stefini 1 ; Patmon, Dezianna 1 ; Luschar, Kedre 1
SB: Luschar, Kai 3 ; Jones, Kaylynn 1 ; Legg, Regan 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
4
AB
3
R
2
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
C/UTL
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballINF/OF
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballINF/OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
C/UTL
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