On a damp, chilly night with a sparse crowd wrapped in jackets and blankets, the Oregon women had to create their own energy.
It looked concerning for a minute with the Weber State Wildcats brimming with enthusiasm, dancing in the dugout in a Martha Washington wig and another one that looked like the painter Bob Ross.
Oregon, the visiting team in their own ballpark due to the unique environment of the NCAA Regional Tournament, got a run in the top of the first when Kedre Luschar drove in her sister Kai with with a crisp single through the left side. Kai had walked and stolen second, the 104th steal of her Oregon career.
Still, when the Wildcats got to starting pitcher Lyndsey Grein for a pair of doubles and a walk in the bottom of the first to quickly tie the score, the Ducks looked grim and businesslike while WSU kept dancing, all smiles and hugs in the dugout.
It turned out that businesslike won. Kedre Luschar drove in four runs with three hits and Rylee McCoy drove in two as the Ducks scored four in the fourth to take a commanding lead on the way to a 9-1 victory.
Elise Sokolsky took over in the pitching circle in the 2nd, allowing just one hit over the final six innings, no runs. She walked five but struck out four.
Katie Flannery got Oregon the lead back in the second with a two-run homer, scoring Kaylynn Jones, who slapped three hits out of the No. 8 spot. Kai Lushar stole another base and scored three times.
The win puts Oregon back in the winner's bracket, but with a handicap: They have to beat 2-0 Stanford twice to claim the tournament's prize, a trip to the Super Regional, potentially the opportunity to host one.
No. 1 overall seed Texas A&M faces the same challenge in College Station-- they have to beat Liberty twice on Sunday after losing 8-5 yesterday.
Stanford demolished Oregon 14-1 Saturday afternoon while hitting four home runs, so they'll come into the rematch with a lot of confidence.
First pitch of Game One today comes this afternoon at 3:30 p.m. PT, televised on the ESPN family of networks. If the Ducks win, they'll play a second and deciding game at 6.
Melyssa Lombardi's Big Ten Champion squad faces an additional challenge, a pitching staff that's put in a lot of work over the three days of the tournament.