Latest news with #LyndseyGrein
Chicago Tribune
08-08-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Lincoln-Way Central's Lyndsey Grein pitches Oregon to Women's College World Series. Team? ‘All that matters.'
The junior season of college softball for Lincoln-Way Central graduate Lyndsey Grein began with a whirlwind transfer portal experience and a big decision. It ended with her emerging as one of the top pitchers in the country and leading her new school, Oregon, all the way to the Women's College World Series. 'It was an amazing year at Oregon,' Grein said. 'I wanted to see how hard I can push myself and kind of find those limits. I think just being given the opportunity to grow athletically and as a person at Oregon gave me the opportunity to continue to grind and to get better.' Grein started her college career at Virginia Tech, going 22-11 with a 3.69 ERA over two solid seasons. But at Oregon, she truly blossomed. Grein went 30-3 with a 2.21 ERA. She finished second nationally in wins, was named a first team All-American by and was one of 10 finalists for USA Softball's national player of the year. Those individual accolades are not what mattered to Grein, however. 'For me, the way I kind of view it is whatever I do is just to contribute to the team,' Grein said. 'If I'm performing by best and it's helping the team, that's all that matters to me. 'That's where my focus stays. I don't think my success would have been possible without our coaches and catchers and the other pitchers on the team who all helped me get better.' Oregon battled back from a 14-1 loss to Stanford and won three straight do-or-die games to advance out of the double-elimination Eugene Regional. The Ducks then swept Liberty in the best-of-three super regional to advance to the World Series. Grein allowed just one run and struck out 10 in a complete game in a 13-1 Game 2 victory that clinched Oregon's first WCWS trip since 2018. 'All I could think about in that moment was celebrating with my teammates,' Grein said. 'To be able to go with that group was incredibly special. To be able to give them some big hugs and celebrate that moment with our fans at home was really cool. 'It's definitely a core memory for me.' Oregon (54-10) went 1-2 at the World Series. The win was a 6-5 thriller over Ole Miss in 10 innings as Grein threw a career-high 144 pitches in 9 1/3 innings. After that performance, Oregon outfielder Kedre Luschar spoke in the postgame press conference about her confidence in Grein. 'I love Lyndsey,' Luschar said. 'She's a competitor. She's so fierce. I put her up against any hitter in this country and she's going to win, and I just know it. I trust her, I believe in her, and she's so awesome to play behind.' Grein embraced the opportunity to pitch on the biggest stage in college softball, and she and her teammates are now extra motivated to get back and win it all next season. 'It was truly an honor to be a part of it,' she said. 'In our first game against UCLA, I gave myself a second just to look up and take it all in, and then after that, it was just like what I've done all season. 'Let myself have that moment and soak it in and then it was all business.' Grein said that all through the ups and downs of her first two college seasons, the tough decision to transfer and all the highs that came this spring, she's carried with her advice given to her by Lincoln-Way Central coach Jeff Tarala. 'He taught me to find joy in good and in struggle,' Grein said. 'I think in softball and in life, that message has really stuck with me. 'I think being able to find a little bit of positive in whatever you're going through is so important.'
Washington Post
31-05-2025
- General
- Washington Post
Here's dirt in your eye. Freak pitch strikes airborne clod, and Oregon softball catcher pays price
OKLAHOMA CITY — As Oregon's catcher, Emma Cox knows All-American Lyndsey Grein throws lots of filthy pitches. Grein outdid herself Friday night at the Women's College World Series when she kicked up a clod of dirt with her cleats during her pitching motion against Mississippi. The clod was in the air when it was struck by the ball, breaking it into pieces.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Here's dirt in your eye. Freak pitch strikes airborne clod, and Oregon softball catcher pays price
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — As Oregon's catcher, Emma Cox knows All-American Lyndsey Grein throws lots of filthy pitches. Grein outdid herself Friday night at the Women's College World Series when she kicked up a clod of dirt with her cleats during her pitching motion against Mississippi. The clod was in the air when it was struck by the ball, breaking it into pieces. Advertisement The 67-mph pitch ended up in Cox's glove and one of those dirt chunks in her eyes. She immediately came out of her crouch and went to her knees, reaching for her eyes through her mask. She was able to stay in the game. 'I thought it was dirt from my glove that must have hit me,' Cox said in an interview with an Oregon in-house reporter Saturday. 'And I was like, 'OK, whatever.' And then the umpire was like, 'No, it was a bug that flew into it and then the ball hit you, or the bug hit you in the face.' ' The dirt-in-the-eye pitch was one of those freak moments that probably couldn't be repeated, akin to Randy Johnson hitting a bird with a pitch in 2001. "I didn't believe it until I saw the video,' Cox said in the interview. The Ducks won 6-5 in 10 innings and will play Oklahoma on Sunday in an elimination game. ___ AP college sports: The Associated Press
Associated Press
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Here's dirt in your eye. Freak pitch strikes airborne clod, and Oregon softball catcher pays price
Oregon catcher Emma Cox (21) during an NCAA softball Women's College World Series game in Oklahoma City, Thursday, May 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Vera Nieuwenhuis, File) Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — As Oregon's catcher, Emma Cox knows All-American Lyndsey Grein throws lots of filthy pitches. Grein outdid herself Friday night at the Women's College World Series when she kicked up a clod of dirt with her cleats during her pitching motion against Mississippi. The clod was in the air when it was struck by the ball, breaking it into pieces. The 67-mph pitch ended up in Cox's glove and one of those dirt chunks in her eyes. She immediately came out of her crouch and went to her knees, reaching for her eyes through her mask. She was able to stay in the game. 'I thought it was dirt from my glove that must have hit me,' Cox said in an interview with an Oregon in-house reporter Saturday. 'And I was like, 'OK, whatever.' And then the umpire was like, 'No, it was a bug that flew into it and then the ball hit you, or the bug hit you in the face.' ' The dirt-in-the-eye pitch was one of those freak moments that probably couldn't be repeated, akin to Randy Johnson hitting a bird with a pitch in 2001. 'I didn't believe it until I saw the video,' Cox said in the interview. The Ducks won 6-5 in 10 innings and will play Oklahoma on Sunday in an elimination game. ___ AP college sports: The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world's population sees AP journalism every day.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Luschar draw bases-loaded walk in 10th inning to give Oregon a 6-5 win over Ole Miss in Women's CWS
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Kedre Luschar walked with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th inning to send Presley Lawton home and give Oregon a 6-5 win over Mississippi in a Women's College World Series elimination game on Friday night. Oregon (54-9) scored three times in the fifth inning to take a 5-2 lead, but Ole Miss responded with three runs in the seventh to tie the score against starter Lyndsey Grein. Advertisement Pinch hitter Jamie Mackay knocked in two runs with a double to make it 5-5. Oregon (54-9) advances to play on Sunday against the loser of Saturday's game between Oklahoma and Texas. Kedre Luschar and her sister Kai combined for five hits and three runs for the Ducks. Aliyah Binford took the loss in relief for the Rebels Persy Llamas had two hits and drove in a pair of runs for Ole Miss (42-21), making its first World Series appearance. Her RBI single in the in the fifth inning tied the game 2-2. But Oregon answered with three runs to take control against Rebels' starter Brianna Lopez. Ole Miss scored the game's first run on a first-inning RBI single by Llamas. Oregon answered with two runs in the first to take a 2-1 lead. Advertisement Grein got out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth inning, but was pulled in the fifth after Jaden Pone reached third with two outs. Llamas singled sharply to right off reliever Staci Chambers to tie the score. ___ AP college sports:
