Ma’ake Slam Sparks Sweep

Sunday, April 12

College Park, MD

8:00 AM

University of Oregon

32-9, 0

Maryland

14-26, 0

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Oregon	1	0	0	0	4	3	0	8	7	0
Maryland	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	2	5	1

04/12/26 | Softball

Box Score #15 Oregon 8, Maryland 2

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Stefini Ma'ake's fifth inning grand slam sparked No. 15 Oregon to an 8-2 win over Maryland Sunday at Maryland Softball Stadium. The Ducks swept the Terrapins and have won eight in a row with No. 22 Washington visiting Eugene next weekend for a series between two of the top four teams in the Big Ten.

Sunday, Oregon scored a run in the first inning and that's how it stayed until Ma'ake's homer.

After Maryland scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to cut Oregon's lead to 5-2, Emma Cox made it a six-run game with a three-run home run in the top of the sixth.

That was more than enough for starter Lyndsey Grein, who struck out 10 in improving to 21-4 on the season. For the weekend, Grein was 3-0 with 25 strikeouts and allowed two runs in 16 innings.

"(Grein) was smiling the whole game, and I think she kept her composure well and she kept it simple and I think she just flat out competed today and wanted to sweep," said Ma'ake.

How It Happened: In the first inning, Oregon (32-9, 13-2) did what it does better than anyone else in the county – bring a run home on a sacrifice fly. After Maryland walked the bases loaded, Emma Cox lifted a fly ball to left field that scored Elon Butler from third and the Ducks led 1-0 after a half inning.

Grein kept the Terrapins (14-26, 1-17) off the scoreboard by striking out nine batters in the first four innings. The Terrapins had two runners aboard in the bottom of the first, but she struck out three hitters to leave them stranded. Grein then struck out the side in order in the bottom of the second, getting swings-and-misses on all three third strikes.

Grein added three more punchouts in the bottom the fourth inning.

Ma'ake opened the game up with her grand slam in the top of the fifth.

Oregon loaded the bases on singles by Amari Harper, Ayanna Shaw and Taryn Ho. Ma'ake then launched an 0-1 pitch high over the wall in left field. It was her fifth home run of the season.

"Honestly, I was just trying to see the ball," said Ma'ake, who had two hits on Sunday. "I haven't been able to see it all weekend, so I think it's just putting a good swing on a good pitch that I saw up. And so I think just doing that for the team just broke things open."

The Terrapins scored two runs on three hits in the bottom of the fifth, cutting Oregon's lead to 5-2. Those were the only two runs allowed by Grein all weekend.

In the top of the sixth, Cox stretched the Duck's lead to six with her fifth home run of the year.

After Butler and Harper walked, Cox hit a laser out of the park to left center field, giving Oregon an 8-2 lead.

"I definitely got jammed a little bit my first time, so I was like, OK, just get my foot down and let's get the barrel out," said Cox, who was 2-for3 with four RBI. "I was happy that not even that it went out, but that I was just able to execute the adjustments there."

Grein retired the last six Maryland batters of the game to close out the win for the Ducks.

Notable: The first inning sacrifice fly was Oregon's NCAA-best and school record 31^st of the season … It was Oregon's third sweep in conference play this season (Penn State, Iowa) and the first road sweep … With 10 strikeouts, Grein passed Sam Skillingstad (398, 2009-12) for eighth on the UO career strikeouts list with an even 400.

Quotable
Head Coach Melyssa Lombardi on the Ducks' ability to win all three games in different ways
"I think it's really important. After every game we talk about how the next game is not even going to look the same. And so it's just continuing to stay in our process and know that there may be some adverse moments, but it doesn't matter. If we just continue to have each other's back, play for each other, play with each other, good things happen."

Sophomore catcher Emma Cox
"I think we have a really versatile team, and I think we have a really tough lineup to throw through, and I think we got speed, we have power, but most of all, we have girls who want to win, and, it doesn't really matter what it looks like. We're just trying to win every single time, and we believe that we're gonna win, which is the most important part."

Up Next: Oregon hosts No. 22 Washington in a three-game series that begins Friday at Jane Sanders Stadium (6 p.m., B1G+).

"We are really excited," said Lombardi. "We cannot wait to welcome our alumni. We've been planning this weekend for a very, very long time, and we are ready to roll out the red carpet for them so they can have just an unbelievable weekend back home."