The Oregon softball team achieved a dramatic victory on Apr. 4, defeating Iowa 14-13 in extra innings at Jane Sanders Stadium. The Ducks rallied with four runs in the seventh inning to force extras and clinched the win on a walk-off sacrifice fly by Emma Cox in the eighth.
The game was notable for both individual and team achievements. Elon Butler set a University of Oregon record with six hits, including completing the first cycle in program history. A season-high crowd of 2,312 fans attended the game, supporting the No. 18 Ducks as they improved their record to 28-9 overall and 9-2 in Big Ten play.
Cox described her mindset during her final at-bat: “My one thought was, ‘do damage,’ and that’s what I tried to do throughout the whole at-bat,” she said. “And shoutout to the crowd, because I could hear them when it was 3-2, and I was like, There’s no way we’re not winning this when the crowd’s that awesome.” Butler reflected on her historic performance and support from fans: “That was awesome,” she said. “Again, I love playing here so much. The way that our fans support us is incredible… Everything was just so incredible. And I’m just so proud of that team.” Head coach Melyssa Lombardi commented on her team’s composure: “This group was not stressed… They knew that it was going to be a game where our offense was going to have to take on a lot of strain. And they were ready to do it.” Lombardi also spoke about freshman pitcher Maddie Milhorn’s outing: “There were some things where she just left the ball over the plate a little bit, but…I needed her to get thrown into the fire today. So I appreciate how she competed.” She added about high-scoring games: “You’re gonna have games like this… It was a hitter’s duel today, and we found a way to get just one more run.”
Throughout an intense contest marked by multiple lead changes and offensive surges from both teams—including five home runs by Iowa—the Ducks answered each challenge with timely hitting from players such as Taryn Ho (four RBIs) and Amari Harper.
Saturday’s ceremonial first pitch featured former all-American Allee Bunker; Cox’s walk-off marked Oregon’s single-season record-setting 26th sacrifice fly; and with this result, Oregon secured its twelfth consecutive Big Ten Conference series win.
Looking ahead, Oregon will conclude its series against Iowa on Sunday.
