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Oregon softball begins hunt for second Big Ten title with tourney opener

ByDale Bliss|
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Like a riseball snapped off at 67 miles per hour, the Ducks are steaming into the Big Ten tournament on the strength of 16 straight series wins in regular season conference play. Lyndsey Grein leads a stellar pitching staff with a 25-3 record and a 2.47 ERA.
Like a riseball snapped off at 67 miles per hour, the Ducks are steaming into the Big Ten tournament on the strength of 16 straight series wins in regular season conference play. Lyndsey Grein leads a stellar pitching staff with a 25-3 record and a 2.47 ERA. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

They won last year's league title in the regular season on their way to Omaha for the College World Series, but this year Melyssa Lombardi's Oregon softball team will have to get past 31-18 Wisconsin, UCLA and 43-6 Nebraska to put another trophy in the display case.

They meet the Badgers today in the quarterfinals at 1:30 pm PT, broadcast on the Big Ten Network, available on radio on KWVA.

In Wisconsin's opener against Purdue in the first round they came back from 3-0 with rallies in the sixth and seventh innings.

Boilermaker pitcher Julia Gossett had a no-hitter going through five innings before UW shortstop Hannah Conger dropped a soft line single in front of diving centerfielder Khloe Banks. The ball popped out of the webbing of Banks' glove as she hit the ground and the Badgers had life.

They had a tie two batters later when first baseman Jackie Showalter drove a low 2-2 pitch inside on the black over the fence in left center, a three-run homer.

Memo to the Oregon hurlers: Don't pitch Showalter inside.

Ducks must arrest the Badger momentum, coming off an emotional win

In the seventh with the bases loaded and one out, Conger ripped the first pitch she saw over the left fielder's head for a walk-off win.

Now the Ducks have to counter all that momentum. Oregon earned a first-round bye with a 20-4 Big Ten record, but the conference tournament is loser-go-home, single elimination.

After the Ducks took two of three from UCLA over last weekend to end the regular season, Lombardi told goducks.com, "I like where we are at as a team heading into the Big Ten Tournament. I like what were doing offensively; we're scoring a lot of runs and I like our depth and our approach on the mound."



"I think this team is in a really good place."

Amari Harper, Katie Flannery, Elon Butler, Stefini Ma'ake, and Rylee McCoy hit home runs in Los Angeles. Ma'ake hit a pair on her way to being named Big Ten Player of the Week, along with 8 RBI. Kaylynn Jones smacked a triple.

Currently No. 11 in the NCAA softball rankings, the Ducks need a win or two at the league tournament to lock down a host regional. Selections are made this Sunday.

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