Ducks Hammer Mizzou for Lombardi’s 200th Win

Saturday, February 22

Cathedral City, CA

9:30 AM

University of Oregon

15-1

Missouri

8-8

Oregon

Missouri

Photo by: Kallie Hansel-Tennes/GoDucks.com

02/22/25 | Softball

Box Score Oregon-Missouri Box Score

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. – Stefini Ma'ake hit a 300-foot home run to punctuate coach Melyssa Lombardi's 200^th career win as No. 19 Oregon closed out the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic with an 11-3 win Saturday over No. 22 Missouri. Ma'ake's was one of five long balls belted by the Ducks on Saturday.

The Ducks won their 10^th game in a row and posted a 5-0 record at the Mary Nutter for the first time since 2020. All five of the teams Oregon defeated in Cathedral City made the NCAA Tournament in 2024 and three of the five were ranked in the top 25.

"We just trusted each other and wanted to get one at a time," said shortstop Paige Sinicki. "Before each game, coach said that this was the most important game of the weekend. She said that all weekend and we bought into each other and just kept doing our thing. That's Oregon softball."

In addition to Ma'ake, the Ducks also got two home runs from Rylee McCoy and one from Emma Cox as Oregon's freshmen accounted for four-of-five homers on Saturday.

"I love this team," said Lombardi. "I love the way they compete. The hard work they've been putting in - they're starting to reap the harvest. They're starting to understand their identity. This was a big weekend for us.

"I loved watching our offense coming out and putting pressure on the opponent right away," said Lombardi. "Getting good pitches to swing at and hitting them hard."

Oregon won its 10^th game in a row to improve to 15-1.

How It Happened: The Ducks' five home runs were more than enough for pitchers Elise Sokolsky and Lyndsey Grein.

Oregon jumped on Missouri starter Cierra Harrison for three runs in the second inning. Ma'ake led off with a towering pop up that was fumbled by the Tigers' infield for an error. Cox made Mizzou pay for that with her fourth home run of the season, a tee shot that landed well beyond the fence in left field.

Two batters later, Katie Flannery followed with a solo dinger, her third homer of the season, that just cleared the fence in left center, giving the Ducks a 3-0 lead.

The third inning saw the Ducks score five runs after there were two outs to blow the game open.

McCoy got things going with a home run – her third of the weekend. Ma'ake followed with one of the longest home runs in recent memory. She lifted a towing drive down the left field line that bounced off the replica wall of old Yankee Stadium located some 300 feet from home plate. The mammoth home run left fans and players from both teams awestruck.

Stefini Ma'ake

"I've been coming to this tournament for a long time," said Lombardi. "I've never seen a ball hit the building like that."

Cox and Sinicki walked to keep the inning going. Kedre Luschar's single drove in Cox. After Luschar stole second, Flannery blooped a single behind second base to bring both runners home for an 8-0 lead.

The Tigers answered with a three-run home run in the bottom of the third inning that chased Sokolsky, who started and went 2.1 innings.

Grein was called on to relieve Sokolsky and shutdown the Tigers over the final 4.2 innings to earn her fourth win of the weekend.

McCoy pushed Oregon's lead back to eight in the seventh inning with her second home run of the day. Remmington Hewitt and Kai Luschar walked and were on base when McCoy drove the ball out to left field for the game's final margin, 11-3.

"I just want to get around the bases and jump into my teammates," said McCoy. "It means a lot that I get to touch home and they're all there supporting me."

Grein, who struck out the side in the sixth inning, scattered four walks and one hit in her fifth appearance of the weekend. She struck out eight batters to improve to 9-0 on the season.

After the game, the team drenched Lombardi with water to celebrate her 200^th win as a head coach. She is just the third Oregon mentor to reach 200 wins, joining Kathy Arensen (234/2003-09) and Mike White (435/2010-18).

"I'm just super happy for her," said Sinicki. "She's been such a hard worker for our team. She gives us everything she has day in and day out so being able to spend this moment with her on the field is such a blessing. We had so much fun celebrating her moment."

Notable: The Ducks' 15-1 start is the program's best since going 24-1 to open the 2021 season … Oregon went 5-0 at the Mary Nutter Classic for the first time since 2020 … Grein has not allowed an earned run in her last seven appearances (21.1 innings) … Oregon added one more steal to its season total and now leads the NCAA with 61 … Paige Sinicki made her 145^th consecutive start at shortstop … Flannery was 2-for-3 and drove in three runs against the Tigers, while McCoy was 2-for-4 with four RBI … McCoy hit her sixth and seventh home runs of the season to tie Ma'ake for the team lead.

Quotable:
Infielder Rylee McCoy on the Ducks going 5-0 at the Mary Nutter Classic
"I think we prepared well and it's going to allow us to go into the next weekend more confident and to continue to stay within ourselves and go out next weekend with the same mentality."

Up Next: Oregon's 2025 home opener kicks off the Oregon Classic at Jane Sanders Stadium. The Ducks will play San Diego Friday at 3:30 p.m. and Portland State at 6 p.m.

"I'm so excited," said McCoy. "I've been dreaming of this since I was little. So knowing that we get to have all the Ducks' fans at the Jane, it means everything to me."

"We're so excited," added Sinicki, "There's some surprises for you guys. We're excited to be out on that field back home and share this atmosphere with the fans."

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