The Oregon Ducks had a dominant start to their 2025 softball season, there is no other way to look at it. The Ducks outscored their opponents 73-16 in their first five games. However, when Oregon faced a former Pac-12 foe in the Arizona State Sun Devils, the Ducks' bats drastically cooled off.
In a game that went into extra innings, Oregon failed to connect with pitches when it mattered most and Arizona State walked away with a 4-3 victory over the Ducks to kick off their at-home tournament; the Littlewood Classic.
Oregon saw home plate first when Emma Cox hit a single out to right field to bring Kaylynn Jones around the bases and put the Ducks up 1-0. In the bottom of the third, the Ducks' bullpen struggled against the power of the Sun Devils as Arizona State answered with three runs of their own off of a two-run double and a sacrifice fly to put the home team up 3-1.
Just one inning later, Jones hit a massive double for the Ducks and the Arizona State center fielder erred which led to Kai Luschar and Ayanna Shaw rounding the bases to tie the game at three runs apiece.
Over the next three innings (college softball only plays seven), both Oregon and Arizona State failed to round the bases and just like that, the game was headed into extra innings.
The Ducks failed to find their swing in their three at-bats during the top of the eighth and then Tiare Ho-Ching smacked a single into right field with Tanya Windle on base to put the Sun Devils up 4-3 and secure the win for Arizona State.
Oregon will face the North Dakota Fighting Hawks in its second matchup of the Littlewood Classic. The Ducks and the Hawks are scheduled to throw out the first pitch on Friday, Feb. 14 at 9:30 a.m. PT.