CLEARWATER, FL. — It was a beautiful opening day for Oregon softball as the No. 5 Ducks played a doubleheader, defeating the Missouri Tigers 3-0 earlier in the day before taking on the No. 12 Clemson Tigers to close out opening day. Senior pitcher Lyndsey Grein threw a no-hitter to open the Ducks’ season, setting a new career high with 14 strikeouts. Oregon, the reigning Big Ten champions, looked to continue its legacy heading into the new season but split the doubleheader, falling to Clemson 6-5 in the nightcap.
“Love how we came out and fought today, these guys were in it with their energy, you could see different people take on strain throughout both games,” head coach Melyssa Lombardi said. “I think the second game was tough. I think we were just a little up and down. And just a couple plays that made a difference.”
As the away team, Kaylynn Jones led off the game for Oregon but was retired on a groundout to first base. Clemson starting pitcher Lexie Hames struggled early, not recording any strikes on four batters while loading the bases before being replaced by right-handed pitcher Abby Dunning.
Emma Cox reached first base on an error, allowing Elon Butler to score the Ducks’ first run. Addison Amaral followed with an RBI that brought Rylee McCoy home, giving Oregon a 2–0 lead at the end of the top of the first inning.
Right-handed pitcher Elise Sokolsky got the start for Oregon. After a slight delay resulted in the first pitch being ruled a ball, Clemson’s leadoff batter Jamis Brockenbrough walked. Kiley Channell then reached on a fielder’s choice to retire Brockenbrough, and Sokolsky struck out the next two batters to end the inning with Oregon still ahead by two.
In the bottom of the second inning, Clemson capitalized with runners on first and second and no outs. Catcher Corri Hicks hit a three-run home run to give the Tigers a 3-2 lead.
Left fielder Amari Harper responded in the top of the third with her first solo home run as a Duck, tying the game. It marked her 10th career home run and the first of Oregon’s season. Sokolsky got the Ducks out of trouble as runners were on first and third, but ended the inning with the score even.
A walk and a single opened the fourth inning for Oregon, and Ayanna Shaw scored from second as Elyse Kresho and Katie Flannery advanced. Jones later laid down a bunt that allowed Kresho to score, extending Oregon’s lead to 5–3 at the end of the top of the fourth.
After a strikeout and a walk in the bottom of the inning, Sokolsky was replaced by Taylour Spencer. Spencer recorded back-to-back strikeouts to her first two batters of the 2026 season to close the inning, keeping Oregon in front by two.
Dunning opened the fifth inning by striking out Harper for her fourth strikeout of the game. Cox doubled, Shaw recorded the Ducks’ first stolen base of the season, and the bases were loaded after Kresho was hit by a pitch. However, Clemson escaped the inning without allowing a run. Spencer then retired the side in order in the bottom of the fifth, holding the Tigers scoreless as Oregon maintained a 5-3 lead.
Despite surpassing 100 pitches, Dunning shut down Oregon again in the top of the sixth. Spencer struck out Macey Cintron to open the bottom half, but Mac Pavese followed with a solo home run to pull Clemson within one.
Lombardi then turned to Grein, who had thrown 100 pitches just hours earlier. Grein recorded a groundout to start the inning, but a defensive error in the outfield by Jones allowed Taylor Pipkins to reach second. Back-to-back errors, including one by Butler, allowed Pipkins to score and tie the game. An RBI by Brockenbrough brought Ava Wilson home, giving Clemson the lead. A final out ended the inning with the Tigers ahead 6-5.
In the seventh inning, Clemson brought in Sierra Maness to close the game. Amaral drew a walk, and Shaw reached on a fielder’s choice, but with two outs and a runner on first, Stefini Ma’ake was retired to end the game. Clemson secured the 6-5 victory, and Oregon was unable to make it two wins in a row.
Oregon built an early lead, regained momentum midway through the game, but ultimately fell after two costly errors in the sixth inning that resulted in the deciding runs. The Ducks recorded eight strikeouts, four from Sokolsky and four from Spencer, while Clemson also tallied eight, seven of which came from Dunning. Both games on opening day were pitching-heavy, with Oregon throwing a total of 131 pitches and Clemson 149.
“We’re gonna have adverse moments throughout the year. We gotta understand how to have those moments,” Lombardi said. “We need to be able to flip the switch, let it go, come back, get the job done and find a way to win. So an adverse moment, we’ll learn from it and we’ll grow from it, it will make us better, but hate how that one just slipped away.”
The Ducks are set to continue opening weekend at the NFCA Classic with three games on Saturday, February 7, against No. 23 Liberty, No. 5 Tennessee, and Southeastern Louisiana.