CORVALLIS, Ore. — Oregon was coming off a hot streak, going 5–0 while hosting its home tournament this past weekend, the Oregon Classic. Looking to carry that momentum into this rivalry matchup, the Ducks ran away with the game, outscoring the Beavers by eight runs, 11-3. The game was highlighted by standout performances from Elon Butler and Stefini Ma’ake.
Right out of the gate in the first inning, Butler hit a grand slam to help Oregon jump out to an early 6–0 lead. Butler finished the game with six RBIs and now has an 11-game hitting streak, tied for the longest of her career, which she will look to continue in the first game rematch of the Oregon Classic this weekend.
Stefini Ma’ake, on the other hand, was not in the lineup to start the game. Her first action came in the fifth inning when she subbed in for Addison Amaral at the plate. In her first at-bat, she hit a three-run shot to extend Oregon’s lead from 6–3 to 9–3.
“I was waiting for my name to be called,” Ma'ake said of the opportunity to get back into the lineup. “Knowing when it was called, I would be ready.”
Head coach Melyssa Lombardi was excited to see Ma’ake’s bat return to form.
“She’s been working hard to get her swing off,” she said. “To see her get her swing off is really nice.”
She certainly got it back tonight, as in her second at-bat of the game, Ma’ake again sent the ball out of the park, this time a solo shot that put the final dagger in Oregon’s 11-run offensive performance.
The Ducks will host the Jane Sanders Classic this upcoming weekend, and with their first game of the tournament and next game on the schedule, being against the Oregon State Beavers again, they will look to Butler and Ma’ake’s bats to continue lighting up the scoreboard.