Friday, April 3
Eugene, OR
6:00 PM
University of Oregon
27-9, 0
10
vs
1
Iowa
21-14, 0
1st innning1
2nd innning2
3rd innning3
4th innning4
5th innning5
6th innning6
RunsR
HitsH
ErrorsE
Iowa
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
2
2
Oregon
3
0
0
4
0
3
10
9
0
Photo by: GoDucks.com
Harper, Butler Power Ducks Past Hawkeyes
04/03/26 | Softball
EUGENE, Ore. — Elon Butler hit a leadoff home run and Amari Harper hit a pair of two-run home runs as No. 18 Oregon opened its series with Iowa with a 10-1 win in six innings Friday at Jane Sanders Stadium in front of a crowd of 2,064 that included some 30 dogs on the program's annual Bark in the Park night.
"The energy is a big part of it," said Butler. "Our fans are great and I love playing here. This is a beautiful park, and I love everything about it. Being able to be at home and go through my routine, reset, and ground myself is helpful."
Harper's home runs bookended an Oregon offense that pounded out nine hits – six of them for extra bases – to score three runs in the first, four in the fourth and three in the sixth. Harper's two-run shot in the first gave the Ducks (27-9, 8-2) a 3-0 lead. Her two-run blast in the sixth ended the game via the run rule.
In the circle, Lyndsey Grein notched her 600th career strikeout and held the Hawkeyes (21-14, 5-8) to one run on two hits. She retired the side in order in every inning except the third and needed just 73 pitches to earn her 16th victory of the season. It was her fifth complete game in Big Ten play this season.
"I thought Lyndsey did great," said coach Melyssa Lombardi. "She had five shutdown innings, and that is huge. I thought our defense was really good tonight as well. I thought she commanded the ball well. Just really understood her game plan."
How It Happened: Hitting in the leadoff spot for the first time this season, Butler launched a 1-0 pitch into the centerfield bleachers. She became the first Duck to hit a leadoff home run since KK Humphreys in 2023.
"I tried not to change anything," said Butler of hitting leadoff. "Coach Lombardi talked to me about it before and I was a little nervous but whatever I can do to help the team I'll do it. I tried to keep my same approach.
"It's having a hitter's mentality every time you send me to the box," Butler said. "I'm not a person who gets a lot of strikes in the first place, so when I do see one, I have to capitalize, and I understand that as a hitter."
After Butler's home run, Kaylynn Jones reached on an error and then Harper launched a 247-foot drive high into the centerfield bleachers for a 3-0 lead.
Iowa scratched out a run in the third to make it 3-1.
Oregon put a four-spot on the board in the bottom of the fourth to pull away from the Hawkeyes.
Ayanna Shaw led off with a single and Taryn Ho followed with a base hit through the left side. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch. Rylee McCoy then drew a walk, but ball four was a wild pitch that allowed Shaw to score from third.
After Regan Legg, who pinch-ran for McCoy, stole second, Emma Cox plated a couple of runs with a single up the middle for a 6-1 advantage.
Jones picked up a two-out RBI double that made it 7-1.
After Grein retired the side in order in the top of the sixth inning, Oregon brought the game to an early conclusion with a quick three runs.
Katie Flannery led off with a double to the wall. Sophomore Elise Kresho, who entered the game in the top of the sixth as a defensive replacement for Butler, followed with her first career hit, a double to the gap in right center that scored Flannery.
Leading 8-1 an out later, Harper drove a 1-2 pitch into the centerfield bleachers for the second time Friday night, as the Ducks wrapped up the game with a run-rule win.
Notable: Harper's two-homer game was her second of the season. The other came March 13 versus Penn State … Harper's 10 home runs are a career high … Butler's home run was her team-best 11th of the season … Iowa could have had a bigger inning in the third, but the Ducks made the Hawkeyes pay for a baserunning mistake. On a single to short leftfield with runners on first and second, the runner from first didn't see the lead runner, Brianna Johnson, stop at third. As two Iowa runners retreated and then got into a run down, Oregon caught Johnson between third and home on a play that went Harper-to-Flannery-to-Ho-to-Jones-to-Cox (7-5-6-4-2) for the out.
Quotable
Head Coach Melyssa Lombardi on how the energy from today's Bark in the Park affected the team...
"Yeah, I actually noticed that in the first inning, and I thought that was really cute. These guys love their dogs. They've been waiting for Bark in the Park. I know Kaylynn (Jones) had her dog Ace here. And when I think of dogs, I think of family and this group is just very united, and a good family. They love their dogs. So this is always a night that they enjoy every year."
Outfielder Amari Harper
"It's awesome. It helps us knowing we have both sides of the ball, defensively and offensively. We know we can back Lyndsey Grein up even when they're hitting harder balls. We're there for her, but we can also back her up offensively. It's awesome for us, especially coming off the road and being home with our fans and the energy they bring, so it was a good time. I look forward to carrying it into the weekend and seeing how it translates from today."
Up Next: Oregon and Iowa play game two of their series Saturday at 4 p.m. (B1G+).
"The energy is a big part of it," said Butler. "Our fans are great and I love playing here. This is a beautiful park, and I love everything about it. Being able to be at home and go through my routine, reset, and ground myself is helpful."
Harper's home runs bookended an Oregon offense that pounded out nine hits – six of them for extra bases – to score three runs in the first, four in the fourth and three in the sixth. Harper's two-run shot in the first gave the Ducks (27-9, 8-2) a 3-0 lead. Her two-run blast in the sixth ended the game via the run rule.
In the circle, Lyndsey Grein notched her 600th career strikeout and held the Hawkeyes (21-14, 5-8) to one run on two hits. She retired the side in order in every inning except the third and needed just 73 pitches to earn her 16th victory of the season. It was her fifth complete game in Big Ten play this season.
"I thought Lyndsey did great," said coach Melyssa Lombardi. "She had five shutdown innings, and that is huge. I thought our defense was really good tonight as well. I thought she commanded the ball well. Just really understood her game plan."
How It Happened: Hitting in the leadoff spot for the first time this season, Butler launched a 1-0 pitch into the centerfield bleachers. She became the first Duck to hit a leadoff home run since KK Humphreys in 2023.
"I tried not to change anything," said Butler of hitting leadoff. "Coach Lombardi talked to me about it before and I was a little nervous but whatever I can do to help the team I'll do it. I tried to keep my same approach.
"It's having a hitter's mentality every time you send me to the box," Butler said. "I'm not a person who gets a lot of strikes in the first place, so when I do see one, I have to capitalize, and I understand that as a hitter."
After Butler's home run, Kaylynn Jones reached on an error and then Harper launched a 247-foot drive high into the centerfield bleachers for a 3-0 lead.
Iowa scratched out a run in the third to make it 3-1.
Oregon put a four-spot on the board in the bottom of the fourth to pull away from the Hawkeyes.
Ayanna Shaw led off with a single and Taryn Ho followed with a base hit through the left side. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch. Rylee McCoy then drew a walk, but ball four was a wild pitch that allowed Shaw to score from third.
After Regan Legg, who pinch-ran for McCoy, stole second, Emma Cox plated a couple of runs with a single up the middle for a 6-1 advantage.
Jones picked up a two-out RBI double that made it 7-1.
After Grein retired the side in order in the top of the sixth inning, Oregon brought the game to an early conclusion with a quick three runs.
Katie Flannery led off with a double to the wall. Sophomore Elise Kresho, who entered the game in the top of the sixth as a defensive replacement for Butler, followed with her first career hit, a double to the gap in right center that scored Flannery.
Leading 8-1 an out later, Harper drove a 1-2 pitch into the centerfield bleachers for the second time Friday night, as the Ducks wrapped up the game with a run-rule win.
Notable: Harper's two-homer game was her second of the season. The other came March 13 versus Penn State … Harper's 10 home runs are a career high … Butler's home run was her team-best 11th of the season … Iowa could have had a bigger inning in the third, but the Ducks made the Hawkeyes pay for a baserunning mistake. On a single to short leftfield with runners on first and second, the runner from first didn't see the lead runner, Brianna Johnson, stop at third. As two Iowa runners retreated and then got into a run down, Oregon caught Johnson between third and home on a play that went Harper-to-Flannery-to-Ho-to-Jones-to-Cox (7-5-6-4-2) for the out.
Quotable
Head Coach Melyssa Lombardi on how the energy from today's Bark in the Park affected the team...
"Yeah, I actually noticed that in the first inning, and I thought that was really cute. These guys love their dogs. They've been waiting for Bark in the Park. I know Kaylynn (Jones) had her dog Ace here. And when I think of dogs, I think of family and this group is just very united, and a good family. They love their dogs. So this is always a night that they enjoy every year."
Outfielder Amari Harper
"It's awesome. It helps us knowing we have both sides of the ball, defensively and offensively. We know we can back Lyndsey Grein up even when they're hitting harder balls. We're there for her, but we can also back her up offensively. It's awesome for us, especially coming off the road and being home with our fans and the energy they bring, so it was a good time. I look forward to carrying it into the weekend and seeing how it translates from today."
Up Next: Oregon and Iowa play game two of their series Saturday at 4 p.m. (B1G+).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Grein, Lyndsey (16-4)
L: Avery Sapp (5-4)
Batting:
RBI: Tory Bennett 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Avery Jackson 1
Batting:
2B: Jones, Kaylynn 1 ; Kresho, Elyse 1 ; Flannery, Katie 1
HR: Butler, Elon 1 ; Harper, Amari 2
RBI: Butler, Elon 1 ; Jones, Kaylynn 1 ; Harper, Amari 4 ; Kresho, Elyse 1 ; Cox, Emma 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Butler, Elon 1 ; Jones, Kaylynn 1 ; Harper, Amari 2 ; Shaw, Ayanna 1 ; Ho, Taryn 1 ; Legg, Regan 1 ; Kresho, Elyse 1 ; Lawton, Presley 1 ; Flannery, Katie 1
SB: Legg, Regan 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
4
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
UTIL
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
RHP
/ SoftballUTIL
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballOF
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