The #20 Oregon Softball team (11-4) continued to exceed their preseason expectations by going 4-2 in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, including a comeback victory against Texas A&M.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE: JUDY GARMAN CLASSIC

(Fullerton, California)

FLORIDA, 2/28, Thursday, 12 PM

CAL STATE FULLERTON, 2/28, Thursday, 2:30 PM

AUBURN, 3/1, Friday, 10 AM

MICHIGAN, 3/2, Saturday, 5 PM

TENNESSEE, 3/2, Saturday, 7:30 PM

STATE OF THE PAC*

#2 UCLA (14-0-0)

#5 WASHINGTON (14-1-0)

#25 OREGON STATE (12-2-0)

STANFORD (11-2-0)

#15 ARIZONA STATE (12-4-0)

#20 OREGON (11-4-0)

#12 ARIZONA (9-5-0)

CALIFORNIA (9-7-0)

UTAH (5-10-0)

*Rankings determined by the USA TODAY/NFCA COACHES poll.

RECAP of MARY NUTTER COLLEGIATE CLASSIC

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NEW MEXICO STATE

DUCKS 3 - AGGIES 1

• The Ducks scored first after April Utecht drove in Lexi Wagner with a pop fly in the bottom of the third. Shaye Bowden hit a leadoff solo homer in the following inning, and then Cherish Burks scored the games final run on an RBI infield single in the fifth.
• New Mexico’s only run took place due to a wild pitch in the fourth inning.
• Jordan Dail (6-0) allowed only three hits and four walks while striking out seven.

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BETHUNE-COOKMAN

WILDCATS 5 - DUCKS 3

• The Wildcats scored all five of their runs in the first inning-and-a-half. After two runners were put into scoring position, thanks to a single, walk and sacrifice bunt, the Wildcats scored off of an RBI infield single and an Oregon Error. In the second inning, the bases were loaded for Bethune-Cookman when a two-run single increased their lead, and a final score gave them a 5-0 lead.
• In the bottom of the second, the Ducks got their first run off of a Wildcats error, and then Allee Bunker cut into the lead further by blasting a two-run home run. The Ducks had the tying runners in scoring position in the fourth but failed to capitalize.
• Maddie MacGrandle (2-3) had another rough outing, finishing with a loss by allowing five runs, two earned, on five hits. Meanwhile, Jordan Dail continued her excellent run by relieving MacGrandle and almost pulling off the win by pitching 4.2 scoreless innings.

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ARMY

DUCKS 11 - BLACK KNIGHTS 0

(5th-inning run rule)

• The Ducks scored four in the first, one in the third, and six in the fourth inning to force the run-rule victory. The bases were loaded when Utecht and Bunker were both hit, then Burks and Wagner took advantage by scoring a runner each. Burks hit her first homer of the season in the third, and a productive sixth inning in which Oregon scored six runs on six hits put the Ducks up for good.
• Dail (7-0) struck out eight and only allowed five hits over five scoreless innings.

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TEXAS A&M

DUCKS 7 - AGGIES 5

• The Ducks struck first with a Bowden two-run double in the first. Oregon tied up the game in the sixth after Bunker hit an RBI single followed by a Wagner two-run single to make the score 5-5. Cruse walked and Rachel Cid hit her home, then Bowden was ruled safe after the catcher was called for obstruction, giving the Ducks a two-run lead that would sustain them for the win.
• The Aggies took a 3-2 lead in the second inning thanks to a three-run homer by Abby Smith, then scored two more runs off of an RBI single and a solo homer, making the score 5-2 before the Ducks were able to tie it in the sixth.
• Dail’s sixth complete game of the season wasn’t her best, but still racked up five strikeouts for her eighth win of the season.

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#18 TEXAS TECH

RED RAIDERS 5 - DUCKS 0

• The Red Raiders opened the scoring in the first due to a triple and a wild pitch, then extended the lead in the fourth and fifth innings with a two-run homer in the former followed by an RBI fielder’s choice and a bases-loaded walk in the latter.
• MacGrandle (2-4) struck out eight in six innings, but allowed five hits and nine walks.

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UC SANTA BARBARA

DUCKS 6 - GAUCHOS 1

• Wagner gave the Ducks an early 1-0 lead by hitting a two-out RBI single, then Bowden added to her already impressive weekend in the third by scoring Haley Cruse who nimbly avoided the tag at the plate. April Utecht piled on with a two-run double on a line drive in the same frame. Bowden and Utecht gave the Ducks a 6-0 lead by hitting an RBI single in the fourth and a solo homer in the fifth, respectively.
• The Gauchos scored their only run on an RBI fielder’s choice in the bottom of the sixth.
• Dail (9-0) finished with four strike outs, one walk, one hit batter, and zero scores over six innings. MacGrandle used 10 pitches to closeout the game with a 1-2-3 seventh inning.

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DUCK OF THE WEEK

Shaye Bowden

The Sophomore had a fantastic time at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, racking up a home run, a double, and seven RBIs. She also threw out three runners attempting to steal, meaning she leads the PAC-12 in that category with nine. She hit .412 and went 7-for-17 over the weekend. Her achievements gave her the resume to earn PAC-12 Player of the Week.

Honorable mention: Jordan Dail currently has an ERA of 2.33 and is a perfect 9-0 from the mound. She will undoubtedly earn the Duck of the Week spot at some point this season as she has proven herself not only the best pitcher of the staff, but also the most likely to keep up with elite competition.

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