Lyndsey Grein hurled a no-hitter and struck out 14. Ayanna Shaw doubled and tripled, scoring on a sacrifice fly by third baseman Katie Flannery as Oregon's softball's Version 8 opened their season with a 3-0 win over Missouri at the NFCA leadoff classic in Clearwater, Florida.
Shaw, the hero of the Ducks' deciding games in last year's Eugene Regional and Super Regional, blasted a two-run double in the seventh to give Grein insurance.
In a story at goducks.com Grein downplayed the first season opening game no-hitter in program history. "In all honesty, I was just kind of hanging out, having fun with my friends," Grein said. "If I'm being honest. A win's a win and I'm just excited for the next one."
A 30-game winner last season with a 2.21 ERA, it was her first career no-hitter and the 19th by an Oregon pitcher. The Mokena, Illinois native threw a one-hit shutout against Florida State last season.
.@OregonSB pitcher Lyndsey Grein just pitched the game of a lifetime with 7 innings, 14 strikeouts and ZERO HITS #QuackQuack #ItsOnGameChanger #GCxNFCA @NFCAorg pic.twitter.com/525ZmY2532
— GameChanger - Youth Sports App (@GetGameChanger) February 6, 2026
The Ducks followed Friday's opening win with a tough 6-5 loss to Clemson in the evening session of the prestige tournament. They led 5-3 until the bottom of the sixth inning when the Tigers struck for three runs, a solo home run by outfielder Mac Pavese, then a pair of costly two-out errors extended the inning.
Clemson's Jamison Brockenbrou singled in the winning run, Grein tagged with the loss in relief.
In the loss Texas Tech transfer Amari Harper ripped her first homer as a Duck, a solo shot to right center in the third. Shaw continued her hot start with a pair of singles and a stolen base.
Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. PT the ladies meet Liberty at the NFCA, broadcast on KWVA radio and televised on the GameChanger app. They'll take on Tennessee at 4, also available from the same sources.
While this team has their own identity and their own culture and deserves recognition as a national title contender in their own right, it's interesting to note that they share a vital element with the football program, the value of Connection. This is a connected team with a culture of celebrating each other's accomplishments, accepting adversity and picking each other up. It makes them fun to watch in an era of hype and high prices.