NCAA Tournament: Early-inning battle gives way, No. 16 Oregon blanks Weber State
Wildcats get crack at Binghamton on Saturday evening
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- Weber State’s Abby Grundy puts a swing on a pitch from Oregon’s Lindsey Grein in an NCAA Tournament regional Friday, May 16, 2025, in Eugene, Ore.
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- Weber State’s Cali McCraw is seen mid windup for a pitch to an Oregon batter during an NCAA Tournament regional Friday, May 16, 2025, in Eugene, Ore.
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- Weber State first baseman Mariyah Delgado (4) completes a putout of Oregon’s Stefini Ma’ake (13) in an NCAA Tournament regional Friday, May 16, 2025, in Eugene, Ore.
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- Weber State softball head coach Kristin Delahoussaye, right, claps with her team at-bat against Oregon in an NCAA Tournament regional Friday, May 16, 2025, in Eugene, Ore.
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- Weber State’s Olivia Birkinshaw swings at an Oregon pitch during an NCAA Tournament regional Friday, May 16, 2025, in Eugene, Ore.
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- Weber State’s Brooke Merrill winds up to pitch against Oregon in an NCAA Tournament regional Friday, May 16, 2025, in Eugene, Ore.
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- Weber State’s Sadie Kirk (5) looks in a pitch from Oregon’s Lindsey Grein in an NCAA Tournament regional Friday, May 16, 2025, in Eugene, Ore.
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- Weber State infielders huddle with pitcher Cali McCraw, upper right, during an NCAA Tournament regional against Oregon on Friday, May 16, 2025, in Eugene, Ore.
Cali McCraw surrendered just one hit through 12 batters, getting Weber State softball into an early-inning battle with No. 16 Oregon to open the NCAA Regionals.
Though trailing 1-0 and taking seven strikeouts at the arm of UO’s Lindsey Grein, Weber State outhit Oregon 2-1 through three innings and was attempting to go at-bat for at-bat with the Ducks.
“Our girls are just doing a really good job having good at-bats. We’ve had some strikeouts but they’re tough at-bats, for sure … they’re doing a great job,” WSU head coach Kristin Delahoussaye said during a third-inning ESPN interview. “When we faced these guys in February, we were a little bit intimidated by them and I think this time around, they’re feeling a lot more confident.
“They’re going to see what they’re made of today.”
But three innings was all the Wildcats would get, falling by eight to Oregon for the second time this season in an 8-0 decision Friday in Eugene, marking WSU’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2022 and Oregon’s first home regional since 2018.
Weber State (28-31) next plays Binghamton (36-13) in an elimination game at 4:30 p.m. MDT on ESPN+. The Bearcats lost 9-2 to Stanford earlier Friday.
Grein was overpowering early, mixing speed and running a fastball past WSU hitters. Taegan Smith legged out an infield single in the first and Jordan McMahon slapped a single to left field in the third. Though Grein struck out five straight batters at one point, Olivia Birkinshaw took Grein deep but foul to left and Abby Grundy flew out to the warning track.
Oregon’s lone hit through three innings was a solo homer rocket to center field from Rylee McCoy in the first. Each team had two baserunners through three after McCraw walked Kai Luschar; the nation’s No. 1 base stealer promptly took second base, making her 55 of 62 attempts this season and giving her 103 for her career, a new No. 1 in Oregon’s program history.
Those subtle notes gave way to an actual song for the Big Ten regular-season champs in the fourth when the gates opened on McCraw’s one-hitter. Kedre Luschar singled to left, setting up Stefini Ma’ake for a screaming liner through the middle and to the wall in right-center, good for a two-RBI double.
Dezianna Patmon followed two pitches later with a two-run slicing homer to right field and suddenly Oregon (48-7) led 5-0.
Brooke Merrill took over in the circle for Weber State, struck out a batter and then escaped a bases-loaded jam with a groundout to short, throwing the final 1 1/3 innings.
Eva Richardson looped a one-out double to the right-center wall in the top of the fifth and WSU got two aboard when Kiara Smith drew a walk. But Grein finished her nine-strikeout outing by K-ing McMahon and Sienna Solis in eight total pitches.
The Ducks got to the run rule in the fifth when Kedre Luschar took home on a double steal, Patmon hit an RBI double, and the speedster Kai Luschar beat a grounder to short for an infield single, scoring Patmon to end the game.
