Oregon softball finishes Jane Sanders Classic with a win against Maryland

Oregon softball wrapped up its nonconference season with a win Saturday afternoon, and exacted some revenge in the process.

The Ducks scored all of their runs in the first two innings and then held on to beat Maryland 4-2 in their final game of the Jane Sanders Classic tournament at Jane Sanders Stadium.

The victory followed Friday’s 4-0 loss to the Terrapins and gives Oregon (12-7) some positive momentum heading into its opening series of Pac-12 play against California next weekend.

“You can look at it and be like, man that loss yesterday was bad for our record, but I think it was a good turning point for us,” Oregon shortstop Paige Sinicki said. “… We came out today and we were gritty and our mindset changed. We weren’t going to let them come back on our field and beat us on our home turf.”

Sinicki had the biggest hit of the game for the Ducks on Saturday, drilling a two-run double to left-centerfield in the second inning to give Oregon a 3-0 lead. She later scored on an error to put Oregon up 4-0.

Sinicki also ended the game when she leaped high in the air to snare a two-out line drive with a Maryland runner on first base.

That catch secured the win for pitcher Stevie Hansen (2-3), who threw the final 3.2 innings in relief after starter Taylour Spencer gave up a pair of solo home runs in the fourth inning.

Hansen allowed two hits, struck out two and walked one on Saturday. For the tournament, Hansen pitched in three of the Ducks’ four games, threw 9.2 scoreless innings, allowed just four hits and had 12 strikeouts to two walks.

“I thought she had a gutsy performance,” Oregon coach Melyssa Lombardi said. “She’s been working this year on trying to figure a couple little things out and you can see that she did. … Not fearful of the moment, thriving in situations, trusting her stuff.”

The Ducks went 3-1 in the tournament, also getting two wins against Mount St. Mary’s with both ending before the game reached the seventh inning.

Oregon beat the Mountaineers 17-0 in five innings on Thursday and 10-2 in six innings on Friday.

Oregon banged out 26 hits in those two games, including three home runs — all by KK Humphreys, who had a breakout weekend.

The second baseman was hitting .200 with no home runs and four RBIs in 45 at-bats before the tournament but went 7-for-9 (.778) with three homers and nine RBI in the first three games.

In Thursday’s game against Mount St. Mary’s, Humphreys went 3-for-3 with two homers and six RBI.

She ended Friday’s game with a three-run home run to left center, giving the Ducks an eight-run lead and a run-rule victory. Humphreys finished 3-for-4 with four RBI and matched her career high with three stolen bases.

She also had one of the Ducks’ four hits against Maryland on Friday and then went hitless Saturday in three at-bats.

“She’s a big part of what we do," Lombardi said. "She was struggling a little early and to see her start to get back to who she is at the plate and swing the bat the way she knows how to swing it, I think it’s the perfect time for her going into conference.”

Alyssa Daniell also drove in a run on Saturday and Kai Luschar went 2-for-3 with a stolen base. She was the only Oregon player with multiple hits.

Rain doesn't stop Oregon from opening day rout

The only thing that slowed down Oregon Thursday was the weather.

Mount St. Mary’s certainly couldn’t.

The Ducks played through two rain delays in their home softball opener before run-ruling the Mountaineers 17-0 in five innings during the Jane Sanders Classic at Jane Sanders Stadium.

The game was delayed 29 minutes at the start and then again for 70 minutes after two innings. The second game of the scheduled double-header was eventually canceled as well.

Oregon (10-7) was sensational when it was on the field, however, as it set a season-high for runs, tied its season-high with 15 hits, recorded its first no-hitter of the season and its fifth shutout.

“What I wanted is what I got,” Oregon coach Melyssa Lombardi said. “They did a good job offensively, getting on, getting good pitches to hit, passing the bat.”

KK Humphreys hit her first two home runs of the season and had six RBIs. Her three-run homer in the second inning put the Ducks ahead 7-0. Her two-run homer in what was a nine-run, nine-hit third inning for Oregon, made the score 15-0.

Humphreys also had an RBI single with the bases loaded in the first inning.

“I think what I’m putting in (behind) the scenes is showing, and just the effort I’ve been putting in,” Humphreys said.

Also for Oregon, Hanna Delgado scored three times and drove in a pair, Kai Luschar went 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs, and Alyssa Daniell went 3-for-3 with a triple, three runs scored and an RBI.

Starter Stevie Hansen threw three innings with a season-high six strikeouts and no walks. Taylour Spencer and Raegan Breedlove pitched one inning each to complete the no-hitter.

The Ducks will attempt to get two games in on Friday, starting with a 10:30 a.m. game against Mount St. Mary’s and then a 1 p.m. game against Maryland.

Jane Sanders Classic tournament schedule 2024

FRIDAY

10:30 a.m. — Oregon vs. Mount St. Mary's

1 p.m. — Oregon vs. Maryland

3:30 p.m. — Mount St. Mary’s vs. Washington

SATURDAY

10 a.m. — Mount St. Mary’s vs Maryland

12:30 p.m. — Oregon vs. Maryland

3 p.m. — Washington vs. Mount St. Mary’s

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Oregon Ducks softball hosts Jane Sanders Classic in Eugene