Thursday, May 29
Oklahoma City, Okla.
7:45 PM
University of Oregon
53-9
2
vs
4
UCLA
55-11
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Oregon
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
2
4
0
UCLA
0
0
0
2
0
0
2
4
7
1
Photo by: Rob Moseley/GoDucks.com
Loss Puts Ducks Into Elimination Game Friday
05/29/25 | Softball
Oregon dropped its WCWS opener Thursday to UCLA, 4-2, and will face Ole Miss on Friday (6:30 p.m., ESPN).
OKLAHOMA CITY — They surrendered the driver's seat in regionals, and needed extra innings to win their Super Regional opener.
This postseason has proven that the Oregon softball team knows how to weather tough battles. The Ducks have another on their hands at the Women's College World Series, after a heartbreaking loss to open the tournament Thursday, 4-2 to UCLA at Devon Park.
The Ducks (53-9) scored the game's first run in the third inning, then tied it back up at 2-2 in the top of the seventh. In the bottom half, the Bruins hit their second two-run homer of the night for a walk-off win that has Oregon one loss away from seeing its season come to an end.
"This group is so good at bouncing back," said senior shortstop Paige Sinicki, who doubled and scored in the seventh to extend the game. "We've shown it all year. And so I'm excited to see what we do tomorrow."
Oregon will play an elimination game against Mississippi on Friday at 6:30 p.m. PT. The winner will earn an off day Saturday before returning to the field Sunday, while the loser will have played its last game of the year.
"We're going to do anything we can to get it done for each other," said senior outfielder Kedre Luschar, who drove in Thursday's first run and also made a highlight-reel catch at the wall in center field.
How It Happened: After a scoreless top of the first for Oregon, UO starter Lyndsey Grein kept it at 0-0 despite a bottom half that saw two Bruins reach, and two brief delays when the stadium lighting went out.
The Ducks gave her a lead in the top of the third. Freshman Kaylynn Jones beat out an infield single to lead off the inning, advanced one base each on successive outs, then scored on an RBI single by Luschar.
UCLA took a 2-1 lead in the fourth, on a two-out, two-strike, two-run homer. That ended up being the only blemish on the ledger of Grein, who went five innings and struck out two while allowing five hits and two walks.
"The hitters definitely get a vote too; it's part of the sport, part of the game," Grein said. "It's just about having that next-pitch mentality to move forward for my team."
Grein's day ended in the sixth, after a single and a walk put two on with none out. In came Elise Sokolsky, who retired the next two hitters before UCLA ran itself into the third out of the inning on an attempted steal.
Up to the plate to lead off the seventh strode Sinicki, who laced a double down the third-base line. Dezianna Patmon sacrificed her to third, before Emma Cox hit into a fielder's choice that saw UCLA throw home to tag out Sinicki, only to have the run allowed after a replay review due to obstruction by the catcher.
"I was just going to figure out any way I could to score," Sinicki said. "I definitely got lucky in that situation … but no matter what, I was going to figure out a way to score."
Sokolsky (17-5) allowed a one-out single in the bottom of the inning, then retired the next hitter. But another two-out, two-run homer ended the game and put Oregon's backs against the wall entering Friday.
"It was a total pitcher's duel," UO coach Melyssa Lombardi said. "And I just look at two swings that were the difference maker."
Notable: Among the UO softball alums in attendance Thursday were Janie Takeda Reed, Alexa Peterson, Gwen Svekis, Lauren Lindvall, Cherish Burks, Katelyn Howard and Tehya Bird. … Luschar's RBI was her team-leading 62nd of the season. … The Bruins scored off Grein for the first time in four games this season.
Up next: The Ducks face Ole Miss on Friday (6:30 p.m., ESPN).
This postseason has proven that the Oregon softball team knows how to weather tough battles. The Ducks have another on their hands at the Women's College World Series, after a heartbreaking loss to open the tournament Thursday, 4-2 to UCLA at Devon Park.
The Ducks (53-9) scored the game's first run in the third inning, then tied it back up at 2-2 in the top of the seventh. In the bottom half, the Bruins hit their second two-run homer of the night for a walk-off win that has Oregon one loss away from seeing its season come to an end.
"This group is so good at bouncing back," said senior shortstop Paige Sinicki, who doubled and scored in the seventh to extend the game. "We've shown it all year. And so I'm excited to see what we do tomorrow."
Oregon will play an elimination game against Mississippi on Friday at 6:30 p.m. PT. The winner will earn an off day Saturday before returning to the field Sunday, while the loser will have played its last game of the year.
"We're going to do anything we can to get it done for each other," said senior outfielder Kedre Luschar, who drove in Thursday's first run and also made a highlight-reel catch at the wall in center field.
How It Happened: After a scoreless top of the first for Oregon, UO starter Lyndsey Grein kept it at 0-0 despite a bottom half that saw two Bruins reach, and two brief delays when the stadium lighting went out.
The Ducks gave her a lead in the top of the third. Freshman Kaylynn Jones beat out an infield single to lead off the inning, advanced one base each on successive outs, then scored on an RBI single by Luschar.
UCLA took a 2-1 lead in the fourth, on a two-out, two-strike, two-run homer. That ended up being the only blemish on the ledger of Grein, who went five innings and struck out two while allowing five hits and two walks.
"The hitters definitely get a vote too; it's part of the sport, part of the game," Grein said. "It's just about having that next-pitch mentality to move forward for my team."
Grein's day ended in the sixth, after a single and a walk put two on with none out. In came Elise Sokolsky, who retired the next two hitters before UCLA ran itself into the third out of the inning on an attempted steal.
Up to the plate to lead off the seventh strode Sinicki, who laced a double down the third-base line. Dezianna Patmon sacrificed her to third, before Emma Cox hit into a fielder's choice that saw UCLA throw home to tag out Sinicki, only to have the run allowed after a replay review due to obstruction by the catcher.
"I was just going to figure out any way I could to score," Sinicki said. "I definitely got lucky in that situation … but no matter what, I was going to figure out a way to score."
Sokolsky (17-5) allowed a one-out single in the bottom of the inning, then retired the next hitter. But another two-out, two-run homer ended the game and put Oregon's backs against the wall entering Friday.
"It was a total pitcher's duel," UO coach Melyssa Lombardi said. "And I just look at two swings that were the difference maker."
Notable: Among the UO softball alums in attendance Thursday were Janie Takeda Reed, Alexa Peterson, Gwen Svekis, Lauren Lindvall, Cherish Burks, Katelyn Howard and Tehya Bird. … Luschar's RBI was her team-leading 62nd of the season. … The Bruins scored off Grein for the first time in four games this season.
Up next: The Ducks face Ole Miss on Friday (6:30 p.m., ESPN).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Terry (20-5)
L: Sokolsky, Elise (17-5)
Batting:
2B: Sinicki, Paige 1
RBI: Luschar, Kedre 1
SH: Patmon, Dezianna 1 ; Flannery, Katie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Sinicki, Paige 1 ; Jones, Kaylynn 1
CS: Jones, Kaylynn 1
Batting:
2B: Clements 1
HR: Clements 1 ; Ramirez 1
RBI: Clements 2 ; Ramirez 2
SH: Curo 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Clements 1 ; Hatch 1 ; Ramirez 1 ; Stephens 1
CS: Woolery 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
0
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Softball
RHP
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
INF/OF
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball2024-25 Oregon Softball Intro Video
Thursday, June 12
The Power of Seven.
Thursday, May 29
The Oregon Softball Fan Experience | 2025 NCAA Super Regionals
Monday, May 26
Oregon Softball | NCAA Super Regionals | Postgame - Game 2
Sunday, May 25
