After a late-night win over Idaho State on Friday Night, the Oregon Ducks faced off against Mississippi State in the game everyone expected when the Regional was set. The hope for the Ducks was that the ace of the rotation, Lyndsey Grein, would be able to return after missing the opener with an eye infection, but it was another day for the Ducks without Grein.
Elise Sokolsky struggled to settle in, allowing a lead-off walk, and when she finally found the strike zone, Mississippi State's Gretta Grassel set the tone with a 2-run blast to centerfield. After the 1st inning, put the pressure on the Ducks, Mississippi State continued to apply pressure on offense.
The 3rd inning saw the Bulldogs tack on another run with a pair of doubles, which ended Sokolsky's day. Maddie Milhorn relieved Sokolsky putting out the fire in the 3rd inning, but allowed another run to score in the 4th after a leadoff single, and some small ball by the Bulldogs.
Unfortunately for the Ducks, the damage by the Bulldogs in the 1st inning was all that Mississippi State would've needed. Coming into the game, everyone knew it would be tough to score on one of the Nation's best pitchers, Alyssa Faircloth, but she outperformed all expectations.
Faircloth was stellar on Saturday, keeping the Ducks off balance the entire night, pitching a no-hitter against Oregon with 10 strikeouts. The lone baserunner for Oregon came in the 1st inning when Amari Harper worked a walk, and it was the only time the Ducks truly threatened.
HISTORY FOR FAIRCLOTH!@alyssaf_28 tosses her first career no-hitter and the first NCAA Tournament no-hitter in program history!#HailState pic.twitter.com/yYQ39Ml4eD
— Mississippi State Softball (@HailStateSB) May 16, 2026
The No-Hitter marks the first time the Ducks have been no hit since May 7th, 2023, against the Utah Utes on Senior Night.
Oregon faces daunting path back after no-hitter loss
The loss now puts Oregon on the brink of elimination as they'll have to win every game the rest of the regional to survive. The path will resume later tonight when Oregon faces the winner of Idaho State vs Saint Mary's. If the Ducks are able to beat the winner of that game, the Ducks will then face Mississippi State again on Sunday, where they'd need to beat the Bulldogs twice.
The big question will now become whether or not Lyndsey Grein is able to return for the Ducks on Saturday Night as the team faces elimination. If Grein can't return on Saturday Night, the team will need her back on Sunday as it's going to be tough to beat a squad as talented as the Bulldogs twice without the ace.
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