OKLAHOMA CITY — On a night filled with career-highs for Lyndsey Grein in the circle, it was the actions Oregon’s ace took when she wasn’t pitching that may have been the biggest difference in her latest masterpiece performance, which kept the Ducks alive at the Women’s College World Series.
With Rylee McCoy committing two early errors in her first game back at first base since taking a line drive to the face in the Eugene Regional final against Stanford, it was Grein who consoled the All-American freshman, who was later moved to designated player.
After getting out of a two-on, two-out jam in the top of the tenth, it was Grein who spoke up in Oregon’s huddle even after she threw 94 strikes out of 144 pitches over 9 1/3 innings — all career-highs for the junior right-hander.
Grein held Ole Miss 2 for 13 with runners in scoring position and though she surrendered the game-tying two-run single in the seventh, the All-American buckled down and finished the gutsiest performance of her career. She silenced the Rebels throughout extra innings long enough for the Ducks to finally break through once more in a 6-5 win in 10 innings decided on a walk-off walk by Kedre Luschar after Friday night turned to Saturday morning at Devon Park.
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“I knew my teammates had my back regardless,” Grein said. “I knew before we got here we were going to pull it off. We didn’t know what it would look like, but the Ducks were going to leave with a win today.
“I told my teammates as long as there’s innings and we have outs to spare, I will stay here until 8:30 the next — or today, and however long it was going to take for us to win. But today wasn’t the day that Version 7 ends their season.”
Grein left with with Oregon leading 2-1 with two outs and a runner on third in the fifth, then Ole Miss tied it on a single by Persy Llamas off Staci Chambers. Grein later reentered with two on and one out in the sixth, one of multiple jams she got out of unscathed, and did not leave the circle again.
Grein’s performance actually improved after reentering, despite the high leverage situations she was in.
She notched four of her seven strikeouts after returning to the circle and threw 46 strikes on 64 pitches compared to 48 out of her first 80. She threw first pitch strikes to 14 of the final 21 Ole Miss batters she faced compared to 10 of the first 21.
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“I think they did a good job pitch calling because they went back down and mixed in some different off speeds in some of those counts, whether they led with it or finished with it, just to keep us off balance,” Ole Miss coach Jame Trachsel said. “Good pitcher, had good command today, up and down and mixed speeds and could throw it on different counts. Could throw it for a strike or expand the zone. It was a tough puzzle to crack.”
It was the most pitches thrown by an Oregon pitcher since Jordan Dail’s 145 against Utah on May 3, 2019, when UO literally had no other pitchers on its roster.
While not extremely outrageous volume in college softball, Oregon coach Melyssa Lombardi avoids overworking her pitchers and looks to avoid topping 120 pitches in a game.
Made aware Grein was one shy of the high pitch count mark of her tenure, Lombardi smiled.
“Lyndsey is just a straight-up competitor on the mound,” Lombardi said. “There’s no way she’s coming out of that game. There’s no way. She’s going to finish it.
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“At Oregon, we talk about it all starts in the weight room. And the reason why Lyndsey was able to finish that game is because it all starts in the weight room. What she’s done with (strength coach Kaelin Jackson) has given her the strength, the endurance she needs to start a game like that and come out and reenter it and finish it and get better as the game went on. She got better as the game went on.”
It was performances like Grein’s that Oregon has so sorely been missing from the circle since All-American Brooke Yanez, who missed the 2022 season due to injury and transferred to UCLA in 2023.
Getting out of one jam after another — two on, no outs; two on, one out; runner on second, one out; bases loaded, one out; first and second, one out; first and second, two outs — against top competition on the sport’s biggest stage is what will make Grein’s outing live in lore no matter how Oregon’s season ends.
“It was just a no-way mentality,” Grein said. “I think one of the things that motivates me is when I glance up and look at my teammates, and that gets me really motivated, just to do it for them. ”
Grein allowed five runs, four earned, on eight hits and three walks, but those figures will be lost to history compared to the ultimate result as Oregon (54-9) advances to play the loser of Texas and Oklahoma in an elimination game on Sunday (4 p.m., ESPN2).
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“I put her up against any hitter in this country and she’s going to win, and I just know it,” Luschar said. “I trust her, I believe in her, and she’s so awesome to play behind.”
The University of Oregon’s Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to approve a $1.55 billion operating budget for the next fiscal year.
But they asked university leadership to return with an amended proposal by Dec. 15, when more details about future budget cuts will be known.
FILE — The Board of Trustees recently approved next year’s budget for the University of Oregon. The vote comes several weeks after the school’s president announced that he wants the university to reduce its annual budget as revenues and out-of-state enrollment decline.
Brian Bull / KLCC
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The vote comes several weeks after University of Oregon President Karl Scholz announced that he wants the school to reduce its annual budget by around $65 million.
At a trustees meeting Monday, Scholz said the estimated budget shortfall for next year is just around $23 million. But he said out-of-state enrollment is below historical norms for the second year in a row, and it’s unlikely to bounce back.
“One year can be an aberration. Two years is a pattern,” said Scholz. “And I believe we have to treat it as a new reality.”
Scholz said in May that discussions about the budget would happen over a six-month period. He said no final decisions about cuts would be made over this summer.
On Monday, UO Senate President Dyana Mason told trustees that the Senate had approved a new process to allow for community feedback in the cost-cutting process.
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Mason said the provost will work with the deans on budget proposals, finding “clear rationale” for why programs are considered for elimination.
The provost would then bring those proposals to the Senate Committee for Academic Modifications—which includes staff, faculty and students—for feedback.
Once the plans are nearly finalized, the Senate could then hold a period for public comment.
Mason told trustees that a six-month timeline is better than the three months that frustrated some staff last year, but she recommended taking however much time is necessary.
“The worst situation would be rushing forward to make decisions without appropriate evidence, data, feedback from the people that are most in the know about the impact on our students,” said Mason.
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UO’s Board of Trustees Chair Steve Holwerda said that every week that university delays the decisions could cost them millions of dollars.
Nathan Wilk is a reporter with the KLCC newsroom.This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
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Oregon’s juvenile justice system has been reshaped in recent years by a sweeping reform law that changed how the state handles minors accused of serious crimes.
Senate Bill 1008, which took effect in 2020, ended automatic transfers of juveniles into adult court and eliminated life without parole sentences for juveniles. The law also created “second-look” hearings and established parole eligibility after 15 years for certain offenders who committed crimes before turning 18.
To help explain the law and its impact, KVAL’s Frannie Pedersen put together a timeline video tracing the history of Senate Bill 1008, from the passage of Measure 11 in 1994 to the reforms that later reshaped Oregon’s juvenile justice system.
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The video breaks down how the law changed, why lawmakers pushed for reform, and how SB 1008 continues to influence Oregon’s justice system today. Viewers can watch the full video for a detailed timeline and explanation of the changes.
PORTLAND, Ore. — A New Jersey man was sentenced to federal prison last Friday for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon.
Mark T. Eager, 34, was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release.
“This defendant showed a blatant disregard for human life by trafficking fentanyl across the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Bradford. “My office will continue to pursue those who profit from poisoning our communities, and we will use every available resource and partnership to combat fentanyl trafficking and keep Oregonians safe.”
“This investigation brought together law enforcement agencies from across the nation,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “Homeland Security Investigations special agents from Portland, Newark, and Houston contributed to the case, along with the Portland Police Bureau and HIDTA HIT officers, who were instrumental in identifying Eager. His 11-year sentence sends a clear message: no matter where you are in the country or the world, if you attempt to sell narcotics online to Americans, we will find you.”
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“Fentanyl trafficking poses a grave threat to communities across the United States, and Homeland Security Investigations is committed to working with our partners to disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks responsible,” said HSI Houston Special Agent in Charge Lucia Cabral-DeArmas. “This case demonstrates the power of interagency collaboration under the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, leveraging resources from across the country to hold traffickers accountable and protect the American people. We will continue to pursue those who endanger lives through the distribution of dangerous synthetic opioids, and we remain steadfast in our mission to safeguard our communities from the violence and instability caused by transnational criminal organizations.”
“By following this offender’s digital trail, Homeland Security Investigations and our law enforcement partners nationwide executed federal search warrants, dismantled an active dark web fentanyl packaging operation and recovered deadly amounts of fentanyl, thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency, and a trove of electronic devices and packaging materials,” said HSI Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas. “This case is a powerful example of how coordinated, data-driven investigations can disrupt dangerous networks and help protect our communities from lethal synthetic opioids.”
According to court documents, from November 2023 through June 2024, Eager and his co-conspirator sold fentanyl on the Dark Net and Telegram. Eager operated as the vendor WRSEH10 and marketed the fentanyl as “China White Synthetic Heroin.”
In June 2024, HSI agents executed search warrants on two residences associated with Eager in Kearny, New Jersey, and seized over 360 grams of powdered fentanyl, counterfeit M30 pills, drug ledgers, cellular phones, two computers, and drug packaging consistent with three deliveries that were sent to Oregon.
On September 4, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a four-count indictment charging Eager with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl.
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On February 4, 2026, Eager pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
HSI Portland and HSI Houston investigated this case with assistance from HSI Newark, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Interdiction Task Force (HIT). Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Kerin prosecuted the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey assisted the U.S. Attorney’s in Oregon in obtaining the search warrants that were executed in Kearny.
