It was agonizing, watching three Oregon pitchers struggle to find an out pitch as No. 7-seeded Wisconsin erupted for 11 hits and four home runs in an 11-9 pasting of the No. 9 Ducks at the Big Ten Tournament in College Park, Maryland Thursday afternoon.
Oregon's normally reliable staff, including ace Lyndsey Grein, struggled to stay ahead of batters or finish them off. They threw 139 pitches, and what became most startling was Badger batters extending at-bats, fouling off third strikes or taking borderline pitches to see one more.
Just 14-10 in league play, the UW batters played like the '27 Yankees in this single elimination quarterfinal. They led off three different innings with a home run. They drilled doubles down the line. The Ducks pressed a bit, and scored just one run over the last three innings of a tight game.
Melyssa Lombardi told the Oregon website, "That was tough. "We just didn't have the ability to contain them today."
BADGERS WIN!!! Wisconsin Softball upsets Oregon to advance to the Big Ten Semifinals!! pic.twitter.com/fotnSUREGS
— Wisconsin Badgers on SR (@SRBadgers) May 8, 2026
Now attention turns to the NCAA Tournament, with selections announced Sunday at 4 p.m. PT on ESPN2. The Ducks will have to regroup on the long flight home.
Outlook looks good for the Ducks keeping a home regional despite agonizing loss
At No. 9 in the rankings prior to the league tournament, Oregon is likely to stay in the Top 16 and host a regional, but the quick exit makes it impossible to reach the Top 8 and be in line to host a Super Regional.
They'll likely open the road to Oklahoma City in the friendly confines of Jane Sanders Stadium, where they are 21-2 this year, but in their cluster of four (double elimination tournament play, then a best-two-out-of-three championship series) they'll have to create enough momentum to survive a super regional in a favored, potent opponents home ballpark.
Despite high hopes for Version 8 throughout the year, it's a tough road. Their best hope is that Stefini Ma'ake and Elon Butler continue to swing hot bats at softball's Big Dance, while role players like Rylee McCoy and Addison Amaral rediscover the stroke that made them stars last year.
McCoy had a homer and five RBI in the series with UCLA a week ago. Grein and Taylour Spencer combined on a one-hit shutout of Ohio State at the Jane on April 26. They have that in them, if they can find the loose, confident warriors within.
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