No. 19 Oregon softball opened the weekend at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic with two one-run victories over what has been by far its most formidable opposition to date.
Elise Sokolsky and Lyndsey Grein combined for eight scoreless innings in a 1-0 victory against No. 7 Tennessee Thursday afternoon in Cathedral City, California, while Paige Sinicki hit a two-run triple in a 5-4 victory over Cal.
Cal added a sacrifice fly in the first inning then hit the first home run. In the bottom of the frame, Rylee McCoy hit a two-run home run and Emma Cox doubled in RBI to rally Oregon, which had scored all of its runs in the game with two outs.
Sokolsky gave up three runs on five hits in 2.2 innings, and Acacia Anders ended the game with a game-tying single in the third.
In the bottom of the eighth, Sinicki gave the Ducks a 5-3 lead, putting them ahead for good.
The Golden Bears were within one run in the fourth inning after Alyssa Herrera blasted a single homer.
In the fourth inning, with two on and two out, Grein came in and pulled out of the jam with her first of three strikeouts. She pitched 3.1 innings of successful relief, giving up just one hit and one walk.
Sokolsky and Grein pitched out of a few jams to strand nine baserunners against Tennessee (10-2), and Oregon won with a walk-off passed ball.
After two consecutive two-out singles in the fifth inning, Sokolsky (4.2 IP, three hits, one walk, and two strikeouts) exited after escaping a two-on, two-out jam in the first. Grein ended the threat with a strikeout after walking the bases loaded.
After a two-out walk in the third that was promptly ruled out, the Ducks (12-1) had only one base runner through the first five innings.
Oregon was unable to push Dezi Patmon in after she singled to take the lead opening the bottom of the sixth and advanced to third on a wild pitch and a passed ball.
Even with a runner on third and one out in the top of the eighth, Grein (5-0) kept Tennessee off the board. Over 3.1 shutout innings, she struck out five and gave up three walks.
Karlyn Pickens loaded the bases with consecutive walks after Sinicki bunted Kedre Luschar to third to start the bottom of the ninth.
Luschar scored when a Pickens fastball escaped Tennessee catcher Sophia Nugent while Braiesey Rosa was at the bat.
Oregon, which continues its weekend against Utah and No. 23 San Diego State starting at 10:30 a.m. Friday, won its first game against a ranked opponent this season.
