Diamond Ducks Recap: Oregon Sweeps Friday Opponenets

— Oregon Duck Baseball (@OregonBaseball) May 16, 2026

Not be outdone, Naulivou Lauaki stepped right up to the plat and put the ball over the fence.

B4 | @junior_lauaki follows Jaksa's 3-run shot with a solo bomb 4 pitches later. #GoDucks

USC 2
Oregon 4 pic.twitter.com/vXSOlnQZaR

— Oregon Duck Baseball (@OregonBaseball) May 16, 2026

Sanford continued his strong performance and retired the side in both the fifth and sixth innings. The Ducks hit a single and got another runner on base with a walk in the bottom of the fifth before a pitching change by USC shut down their offense. At the the end of six Oregon was holding on to the lead at 4-2.

T6 | @JackBrooks_8 brings one back to end the top of the sixth. #GoDucks | #D1Top10 | #SCTop10 | @NCAABaseball

USC 2
Oregon 4 pic.twitter.com/zX5iLrBqwe

— Oregon Duck Baseball (@OregonBaseball) May 16, 2026

With Sanford having pitched six full innings the Ducks went to their bull pen. Collin Clarke was first up in relief and got into trouble against loaded bases with two outs. Facing the prospect of the lead evaporating with a single hit, Luke Morgan came to the mound and got the final out on a pop-fly. USC stayed with their second pitcher and their faith was rewarded as Oregon’s couldn’t get any runners on base in the bottom of the seventh. In the top of the eighth the Ducks Jonah Barkoff took the mound but he was quickly pulled after two walks and foul out. Coming in cold Devin Bell hit the first batter he faced then gave up a run on a fielder’s choice single to cut the lead to 4-3. Having warmed up his arm Bell then struck out the Trojans’ next batter to keep the Ducks in front. It would be up to Bell and the defense to hang on as once again the Ducks went 3-up, 3-down in the bottom of the eighth. Bell answered the call by retiring the side in the ninth inning to clinch the win.

The decisive game 3 will begin tomorrow at 3PM.

Softball vs. Idaho State: Ducks 5, Bengals 1

The softball team began the Eugene Regional at the Jane against an Idaho State squad that had given them trouble in their one meeting during the regular season. The sellout crowd could be forgiven for being nervous at the start: ace pitcher Lyndsay Grein was out with eye infection. Taylour Spencer was given the start in the circle against the Bengals and her nerves may have been showing in the top of the first as the defense gave up a run on a double and a pair of singles. In the bottom of the first the Ducks went 3-up, 3-down. Spencer found her form and retired the side in the top of the second but in the bottom of the inning all Oregon could manage was a base hit by Stephini Ma’ake. In the third inning the Bengals had a runner in scoring position but a timely strike out by Spencer meant no runners came home. Oregon had a golden opportunity to put points on the board in the bottom of the inning when two walks and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases with only 1 out. Unfortunately Emma Cox proceeded to ground into a double play and going into the fourth inning Oregon trailed 1-0.

YOU SHALL NOT PASS!!

with the #SCTop10 worthy snag of a laser headed right back at her.

M3 | Idaho State 1, Ducks 0#GoDucks | #Version♾️ pic.twitter.com/e7nN5DuJHZ

— Oregon Softball (@OregonSB) May 16, 2026

Both starting pitchers faded in the fourth inning. Spencer got one out but was replaced by Elise Sokolsky after giving up a single. Sokolsky retired the next two Bengals batters. Oregon’s bats finally had Idaho State timed up, loading the bases with a walk and two singles. Ayanna Shaw’s grand slam gave the Ducks a 4-1 lead, and Oregon still had three outs to work with.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!

Ayanna Shaw's second career homer is a grand slam that gives the Ducks the lead!

B4 | Ducks 4, Idaho State 1#GoDucks | #Version♾️ pic.twitter.com/75OGD0jGeq

— Oregon Softball (@OregonSB) May 16, 2026

Oregon loaded the bases again after a pitching change by the Bengals and an Emma Cox sac-fly brought in Katie Flannery to make it 5-1. The fifth inning was much quieter as both relievers were now in rhythm and neither team put runners in scoring position.

Though Oregon’s bats went cold down the stretch, Sokolsky secured the game by retiring the final six batters she went up against (including four strike outs).

Elise Sokolsky strikes out the side in the top of the sixth!

M6 | Oregon 5, Idaho State 1#GoDucks | #Version♾️ pic.twitter.com/Twyj8aqh7C

— Oregon Softball (@OregonSB) May 16, 2026

An opening game win puts the Ducks in the winners bracket where they will face a Mississippi State team from “the sahft-ball gahd’s own ess-ee-see.” Jokes about regional bias in rankings aside, the Bulldogs figure to be a much greater challenge than the Bengals and Grein is unlikely to be available by tomorrow. Oregon faces the prospect of needing to survive a double elimination round with only three viable pitchers (Spencer, Sokolsky, and Maddie Milhorn). It is vital to get a win at 2PM today to avoid needing to play extra games over the weekend with a depleted bullpen.