Oregon Takes Extra Inning Thriller Against No. 20 Duke

Saturday, February 21

Cathedral City, CA

9:30 AM

University of Oregon

8-6

Duke

9-7

Oregon

Duke

Oregon Takes Extra Inning Thriller Against No. 20 Duke

02/21/26 | Softball

Box Score #18 Oregon 11, #20 Duke 8

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. — The first-ever meeting between No. 18 Oregon and No. 20 Duke was an instant classic.

The Ducks scored three times in the top of the seventh and five times in the top of the eighth to complete a come-from-behind, 11-8 victory over the Blue Devils Saturday at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.

"After the seventh, I knew we were going to win," said coach Melyssa Lombardi. "I didn't know if it was going to be more than eight innings or what. I didn't know exactly how, I just knew. You could feel it from our group."

Oregon had a 3-0 lead early in the game before Duke took a 5-3 lead after six innings. The Ducks rallied for three runs in the top of the seventh to go in front 6-5 only to watch the Blue Devils load the bases and score a run in the bottom of the frame. With the game tied, 6-6, and the bases loaded, Oregon turned a stellar 5-2-6 double play – third-to-catcher-to-shortstop – to escape the inning.

After that, the bats broke out for five runs in the top of the eighth as the Ducks went on to defeat a ranked team in extra-innings at the Mary Nutter tournament for the second straight season, following last year's 1-0 thriller over No. 5 Tennessee.

Oregon toppled three ranked teams at 2026 Mary Nutter Classic – Duke, No. 11 Texas A&M (2-1) and No. 13 South Carolina (2-1).

How It Happened: Rylee McCoy's third sacrifice fly of the season got the Ducks (8-6) on the scoreboard in the top of the second. Emma Cox and Braiesey Rosa singled. Taryn Ho sacrificed both runners ahead 60 feet and McCoy's fly out to left scored Cox.

Oregon made it 3-0 in the third. Kaylynn Jones doubled. Amari Harper reached on an error that allowed Jones to score from second. Elon Butler then doubled to bring Harper home.

A two-run double for the Blue Devils in the bottom of the inning cut Oregon's lead to 3-2. Duke (9-7) then took a 4-3 lead on a two-run home run in the bottom the fifth and tacked on another score after back-to-back doubles in the sixth.

The Ducks came to the plate trailing 5-3 in the top of the seventh. Jones drew a lead-off walk, went to second on a sacrifice bunt and ended up at third following a wild pitch. Elon Butler's single scored Jones to make it a 5-4 game. Butler then advanced to second on a ground out.

With two outs, Rosa stepped into the box and delivered a single into right that scored Butler to tie the game, 5-5. Taryn Ho then gave Oregon the lead, temporarily, with an RBI single to left on a 2-2 pitch that plated pinch-runner Regan Legg.

"For me it was just being there for my teammates and knowing that I can swing the bat and hit the ball hard," said Rosa, who made her first career start in right field. "That was the biggest plan for me. Just getting on base no matter what it took."

Braiesey Rosa

The Blue Devils answered in the bottom of the seventh and threatened to walk it off until the Ducks' remarkable double play to end the inning. Duke loaded the bases with no outs on three straight singles. After a strikeout, The Blue Devils' fourth single of the inning tied the game at 6-6.

With the bases still loaded, Taylour Spencer and the Ducks got out of the inning on a rare double play. Spencer got Kairi Rodriguez to hit a sharp two-hopper to Katie Flannery who was drawn in at third. Flannery threw to Cox for the force at home and then with Ho hustling over from shortstop to cover the bag, Cox fired down to third for the 5-2-6 double play, sending the game into extra innings.

Defense turned to offense as Oregon erupted for five runs in the top of the eighth. Using the international tie-breaker rule, Ho was placed on second base. She went to third on McCoy's fly out. Flannery's single through the left side gave the Ducks a 7-6 lead. Elyse Kresho was a tough-luck line out for the second out of the inning.

"We kept saying in the dugout 'just bang.' That's it," said Harper. "Just bang. I think one through nine, we did a great job the whole game just swinging."

Oregon strung together four two-out hits to open up a big lead. Jones doubled to the wall in right center and Flannery came all the way around from first to give the Ducks a two-run lead. Harper then doubled that advantage with a two-run home run to right and just like that, Oregon led 10-6.

"I had some good cuts – I felt like I was missing one little mechanical switch," said Harper reflecting on her at-bat in the eighth. "So I made that pre-pitch adjustment and it just went."

Butler followed with a single and moved up a base when Cox walked. Rosa's single up the middle plated Butler with the Ducks' fifth run of the inning.

The Ducks led 11-6 after the top of the eighth but Duke did not go quietly. With a runner placed on second, Spencer got two quick outs. The Blue Devils then mounted a two-out rally of their own. Duke scored two runs on a double and a single to make it 11-8. But Spencer retired Aminah Vega on a fly ball to Kresho in center to end the game.

Notable: Oregon racked up a season-high 15 hits against Duke … Elon Butler, Braiesey Rosa and Taryn Ho all had three hits – career highs for Rosa and Ho … Amari Harper had a three-RBI day, while Butler drove in two … Taylour Spencer threw the final two innings to improve to 3-2 on the season.

Quotable
Head coach Melyssa Lombardi
"This group is resilient. This group knows how to really connect with each other and get the best out of each other. That's definitely what I saw today. We were required to go the distance in this game. They were not going to do anything less than find a way to win."

1B/OF Amari Harper on when she believed Oregon was going to win
"I think it was after Elon's hit. I bunted and Elon got on with a hard ground ball and I was like, yeah, now we're gonna win. I don't know when. I don't know how, but we're going to win."

Up Next: Next up for Oregon is the 2026 home opener on Friday. The Ducks will host Stetson and Idaho State at 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., respectively, at Jane Sanders Stadium on the first day of the Oregon Classic.