Sunday, March 1
Eugene, OR
12:30 PM
University of Oregon
13-6
18
vs
2
Samford
7-13
1
2
3
4
5
R
H
E
Samford
2
0
0
0
0
2
4
0
Oregon
6
4
2
6
X
18
15
0
Ducks Overwhelm Bulldogs for Sixth Straight Win
03/01/26 | Softball
EUGENE, Ore. — After falling behind 2-0, No. 20 Oregon scored 18 straight runs to pull away from Samford, 18-2, Sunday in the final game of the Oregon Classic at Jane Sanders Stadium.
Rylee McCoy hit her first home run of the season, a three-run shot in the first inning, to pace an offense that amassed 17 RBI, which was tied for the eighth-most in a single game in program history. Emma Cox joined McCoy with three RBI, while Ayanna Shaw, Remmington Hewitt, Taryn Ho and Stefini Ma'ake each drove in a pair of runs.
Elon Butler didn't pick up an RBI for the first time this weekend, but did get a hit in the third inning to extend her hitting streak to 10 games.
"You could see it from the beginning to today," said coach Melyssa Lombardi after watching her team score its most runs since putting 21 on the board last March at Rutgers. "We have just been getting closer and closer to who we are. And I think this lineup is lethal.
"I've been talking about our power since the fall, and I believe in that power," said Lombardi. "And so I think you're just starting to see it all get more together and really just pass the bat. So I'm excited to see what's next for this group on Wednesday, and then next weekend."
The Ducks travel to Corvallis for the first of three games against Oregon State, before hosting the Jane Sanders Classic next weekend with Nevada, Sacramento State and the Beavers.
How It Happened: After surrendering a two-run home run in the top of the first, pitchers Taylour Spencer and Rowan Thompson buckled down and kept Samford (7-13) off the scoreboard for the rest of the game. Spencer held the Bulldogs hitless over 2.2 innings and struck out three to improve to 5-2 on the season. Thompson threw the final 2.0 innings and allowed two hits while striking out one.
Oregon (13-6) reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the first inning and didn't look back.
Shaw and Kaylynn Jones led off the game with back-to-back walks. One out later, McCoy drove a 2-2 pitch over the wall in left for her much-anticipated first round-tripper of the season.
"It felt great," said McCoy. "I love getting on base. I love hitting my teammates in and I really felt the trust from my coaches and all my teammates, and that's what allowed me to play the way I did today. I can feel them supporting me, and that's what allowed me to flourish today."
After Amari Harper doubled, Ho walked and Cox was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Ma'ake drove Harper in with the Ducks' fourth run of the inning on a sacrifice fly. Ho advanced to third on the play.
Katie Flannery then walked, but ball four was also a wild pitch that allowed Ho to score from third for a 5-2 lead.
Shaw followed with a single up the middle to bring Cox home with the sixth and final run of the frame.
The Ducks took advantage of some wildness on the part of Samford's pitchers to score four more runs in the second.
McCoy and Harper were both hit by pitches. Ho sacrificed both runners up a base before Cox brought both runners home on a double to center.
Ma'ake then doubled to switch places with pinch-runner Regan Legg, who scored Oregon's ninth run of the game on her birthday.
Katie Flannery's single sent Ma'ake to third and she scored on Shaw's RBI groundout.
The Ducks strung together three hits followed by a walk and a sacrifice fly to score two runs in the third inning.
Butler led off with a single and McCoy doubled. Harper's single into center field scored Butler. After Ho walked to load the bases, McCoy scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Cox for a 12-2 lead.
"It's what we've talked about this whole year," said Harper, "If someone gets on us quickly, we know how to answer back.
"One inning doesn't make a whole game," she said. "So, keeping that in mind throughout the entire year and knowing that as long as we have innings left, we will be able to win. We've seen that throughout this year. In the Duke game and a couple of times in the Idaho State game, we know that when we have time left, there's nobody that can beat us."
Oregon put the game away with a six-run fourth.
Jones and Butler singled. An out later, pinch-hitter Abby Steffen singled into the hole at short to load the bases. It was the first career hit for the junior from Chula Vista, Calif.
Ho then doubled to the wall in left center to score Jones and Butler.
With Ho on second and Steffen on third, Hewitt picked up her first two RBIs of 2026 with a double into left.
Addison Amaral then doubled to score Hewitt, and Jones' single to left brought Amaral around with the Ducks' 18th run of the game.
Notable: Elon Butler's 10-game hitting streak is one shy of her career best, 11, set as a sophomore at California in 2024 … For the tournament, Butler hit .647 (11-of-17) with five doubles, two home runs and 12 RBI … She also had a 1.294 slugging percentage and a .684 on-base percentage … Kaylynn Jones hit .364 (4-of-11) with a homer and six RBI over the five-game Oregon Classic meaning she has hit .350 or better in all four tournaments this season … Taryn Ho went 5-for-10 with two doubles and a triple … Rylee McCoy hit .429 with two doubles and a home run and slugged 1.143 … Ayanna Shaw went 6-for-16 (.375) with two triples.
Quotable
Head Coach Melyssa Lombardi
"We talk a lot about that internal fire in front of you, and sometimes you can get out ahead early and then just stop. And what I appreciate is that nobody wanted to make the last out today. These guys want to continue to hit the ball hard and just kind of flow through the lineup."
1B Rylee McCoy on making adjustments that helped raise her average 80 points this weekend.
"I'm making some more physical adjustments. If something isn't working, I'm more than open to changing. If the coaches think I need to tweak something, I have full trust in them, and I'll buy into whatever they tell me to do."
Up Next: Oregon plays the first of three Rivalry Series games against Oregon State Wednesday at 6 p.m. in Corvallis (ESPN+).
Rylee McCoy hit her first home run of the season, a three-run shot in the first inning, to pace an offense that amassed 17 RBI, which was tied for the eighth-most in a single game in program history. Emma Cox joined McCoy with three RBI, while Ayanna Shaw, Remmington Hewitt, Taryn Ho and Stefini Ma'ake each drove in a pair of runs.
Elon Butler didn't pick up an RBI for the first time this weekend, but did get a hit in the third inning to extend her hitting streak to 10 games.
"You could see it from the beginning to today," said coach Melyssa Lombardi after watching her team score its most runs since putting 21 on the board last March at Rutgers. "We have just been getting closer and closer to who we are. And I think this lineup is lethal.
"I've been talking about our power since the fall, and I believe in that power," said Lombardi. "And so I think you're just starting to see it all get more together and really just pass the bat. So I'm excited to see what's next for this group on Wednesday, and then next weekend."
The Ducks travel to Corvallis for the first of three games against Oregon State, before hosting the Jane Sanders Classic next weekend with Nevada, Sacramento State and the Beavers.
How It Happened: After surrendering a two-run home run in the top of the first, pitchers Taylour Spencer and Rowan Thompson buckled down and kept Samford (7-13) off the scoreboard for the rest of the game. Spencer held the Bulldogs hitless over 2.2 innings and struck out three to improve to 5-2 on the season. Thompson threw the final 2.0 innings and allowed two hits while striking out one.
Oregon (13-6) reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the first inning and didn't look back.
Shaw and Kaylynn Jones led off the game with back-to-back walks. One out later, McCoy drove a 2-2 pitch over the wall in left for her much-anticipated first round-tripper of the season.
"It felt great," said McCoy. "I love getting on base. I love hitting my teammates in and I really felt the trust from my coaches and all my teammates, and that's what allowed me to play the way I did today. I can feel them supporting me, and that's what allowed me to flourish today."
After Amari Harper doubled, Ho walked and Cox was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Ma'ake drove Harper in with the Ducks' fourth run of the inning on a sacrifice fly. Ho advanced to third on the play.
Katie Flannery then walked, but ball four was also a wild pitch that allowed Ho to score from third for a 5-2 lead.
Shaw followed with a single up the middle to bring Cox home with the sixth and final run of the frame.
The Ducks took advantage of some wildness on the part of Samford's pitchers to score four more runs in the second.
McCoy and Harper were both hit by pitches. Ho sacrificed both runners up a base before Cox brought both runners home on a double to center.
Ma'ake then doubled to switch places with pinch-runner Regan Legg, who scored Oregon's ninth run of the game on her birthday.
Katie Flannery's single sent Ma'ake to third and she scored on Shaw's RBI groundout.
The Ducks strung together three hits followed by a walk and a sacrifice fly to score two runs in the third inning.
Butler led off with a single and McCoy doubled. Harper's single into center field scored Butler. After Ho walked to load the bases, McCoy scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Cox for a 12-2 lead.
"It's what we've talked about this whole year," said Harper, "If someone gets on us quickly, we know how to answer back.
"One inning doesn't make a whole game," she said. "So, keeping that in mind throughout the entire year and knowing that as long as we have innings left, we will be able to win. We've seen that throughout this year. In the Duke game and a couple of times in the Idaho State game, we know that when we have time left, there's nobody that can beat us."
Oregon put the game away with a six-run fourth.
Jones and Butler singled. An out later, pinch-hitter Abby Steffen singled into the hole at short to load the bases. It was the first career hit for the junior from Chula Vista, Calif.
Ho then doubled to the wall in left center to score Jones and Butler.
With Ho on second and Steffen on third, Hewitt picked up her first two RBIs of 2026 with a double into left.
Addison Amaral then doubled to score Hewitt, and Jones' single to left brought Amaral around with the Ducks' 18th run of the game.
Notable: Elon Butler's 10-game hitting streak is one shy of her career best, 11, set as a sophomore at California in 2024 … For the tournament, Butler hit .647 (11-of-17) with five doubles, two home runs and 12 RBI … She also had a 1.294 slugging percentage and a .684 on-base percentage … Kaylynn Jones hit .364 (4-of-11) with a homer and six RBI over the five-game Oregon Classic meaning she has hit .350 or better in all four tournaments this season … Taryn Ho went 5-for-10 with two doubles and a triple … Rylee McCoy hit .429 with two doubles and a home run and slugged 1.143 … Ayanna Shaw went 6-for-16 (.375) with two triples.
Quotable
Head Coach Melyssa Lombardi
"We talk a lot about that internal fire in front of you, and sometimes you can get out ahead early and then just stop. And what I appreciate is that nobody wanted to make the last out today. These guys want to continue to hit the ball hard and just kind of flow through the lineup."
1B Rylee McCoy on making adjustments that helped raise her average 80 points this weekend.
"I'm making some more physical adjustments. If something isn't working, I'm more than open to changing. If the coaches think I need to tweak something, I have full trust in them, and I'll buy into whatever they tell me to do."
Up Next: Oregon plays the first of three Rivalry Series games against Oregon State Wednesday at 6 p.m. in Corvallis (ESPN+).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Spencer, Taylour (5-2)
L: Makinley Turner (1-2)
Batting:
2B: Olivia Shaw 1
HR: Olivia Shaw 1
RBI: Olivia Shaw 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Brandy Phillips 1 ; Olivia Shaw 1
HBP: Addison Smith 1
Batting:
2B: McCoy, Rylee 1 ; Hewitt, Remmington 1 ; Harper, Amari 1 ; Ho, Taryn 1 ; Cox, Emma 1 ; Ma'ake, Stefini 1 ; Amaral, Addison 1
HR: McCoy, Rylee 1
RBI: Shaw, Ayanna 2 ; Jones, Kaylynn 1 ; McCoy, Rylee 3 ; Hewitt, Remmington 2 ; Harper, Amari 1 ; Ho, Taryn 2 ; Cox, Emma 3 ; Ma'ake, Stefini 2 ; Amaral, Addison 1
SH: Ho, Taryn 1
SF: Cox, Emma 1 ; Ma'ake, Stefini 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Shaw, Ayanna 1 ; Jones, Kaylynn 2 ; Butler, Elon 2 ; McCoy, Rylee 2 ; Lawton, Presley 1 ; Hewitt, Remmington 1 ; Harper, Amari 2 ; Steffen, Abby 1 ; Ho, Taryn 2 ; Cox, Emma 1 ; Legg, Regan 1 ; Ma'ake, Stefini 1 ; Amaral, Addison 1
HBP: McCoy, Rylee 1 ; Harper, Amari 1 ; Cox, Emma 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
1b/ph
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
3
AB
2
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Softball
UTIL
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballUTIL
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF/OF
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
RHP
/ SoftballRylee McCoy | Postgame - Oregon Classic (Day 3)
Monday, March 02
Melyssa Lombardi | Postgame - Oregon Classic (Day 3)
Monday, March 02
Amari Harper | Postgame - Oregon Classic (Day 3)
Monday, March 02
Taylour Spencer | Postgame - Oregon Classic (Day 2)
Sunday, March 01
