The University of Oregon softball team defeated the University of Washington 5-4 on Apr. 18 at Jane Sanders Stadium, highlighted by a two-out home run from Amari Harper and key defensive plays in front of a sold-out crowd.
The game was important for both teams as it moved Oregon into a tie for third place with Washington in the Big Ten Conference standings, each holding records of 15-2. The win also marked Oregon’s seventeenth come-from-behind victory this season and extended their streak to fourteen consecutive Big Ten series wins.
Emma Cox hit her third home run of the series, while Stefini Ma’ake added another homer for the Ducks. Harper’s two-out blast off the scoreboard in the fifth inning put Oregon ahead for good. “Any rivalry game, it doesn’t matter if you’re an in-state team or if it’s just competitive like this with UW, it’s awesome,” said Harper. “It’s fun to be a part of. I think it’s something that really brings our community and our fans together, which helps our team rally with each other.”
Elon Butler made a crucial defensive play to end the game by throwing out a runner at third base after Ava Carroll singled to right field for Washington. Coach Melyssa Lombardi said, “I’ve talked to them about how what you do in practice is going to show up in the game.” She continued, “We’ve worked on that so many times, and just watching her do it over and over, under the gun and not even flinching, it’s awesome to get the last out of the game like that… What a play.”
Pitcher Elise Sokolsky returned from injury to throw four-and-two-thirds innings in relief without walking any batters and earned her fifth win of the season. Sokolsky said about being back on field: “It was so exciting. Just being back on the field with my girls… that’s really what I was looking forward to most.” The Ducks celebrated sixty years of Oregon softball during this matchup with more than one hundred alumni present.
Looking ahead, Oregon will conclude its series against Washington Sunday at 3 p.m., with coverage available on Big Ten Network.
