Oregon climbed to within one game of first place with a 10-0 run-rule victory over the Hawkeyes at Duane Banks field in Iowa City Thursday night. Grayson Grinsell pitched seven scoreless innings, allowed two hits and struck out eight.
Carter Garate blasted a grand slam home run in the fourth and Maddox Molony hit a pair of solo shots. A home run by second baseman Ryan Cooney gave the Ducks 100 for the year, tops in the Big Ten by a dozen.
The two teams play Friday and Saturday for the league title, both games on the Big Ten Network. Collin Clarke takes the bump for the Ducks with first pitch at 4:02 p.m.
NCAA Regional begins at the Jane
Two-seed Stanford plays Binghamton at 2:00 p.m. PDT Friday afternoon, then Oregon takes on Weber State at 4:30 as play begins in the four-team, double elimination regional in Jane Sanders Stadium.
Oregon pitcher Lyndsey Grein (26-2) has been named a finalist of USA Softball's NCAA Player of the Year. Big Ten Champions in their first season in the league, 47-7 overall, the Ducks make their fifth straight appearance in the tournament and 25th in program history.