Another game, another win for Oregon softball.

No. 4 Oregon finished off the Oregon Invitational with a 12-1 run-rule win over Hofstra (9-9) on Sunday. Freshman Maggie Balint earned the start for Oregon and threw eight strikeouts in in the five innings without giving up the lone Hofstra hit until the fifth frame. Oregon’s bats went to work in the third and fourth inning as 15 different batters helped put the Ducks over the line to win the program’s 24th straight win to start the year.

“I’m not here to throw no-hitters,” Balint said. “I’m here to get outs and win for our team.”

Oregon started its scoring in the bottom of the first on a wild pitch with the based loaded. Oregon led off the bottom of the third with three straight singles from Gwen Svekis, Nikki Udria and Jenna Lilley. Mia Camuso was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, giving Oregon a 2-0 lead.

With the bases loaded again with no outs, Oregon surrendered two outs but Sammie Puentes clubbed a two-RBI single to increase Oregon’s lead to 4-0.

Oregon hit through its entire order in the third inning. In the bottom of the fourth, Rhodes nailed a three-run home run to left-center field to make it 8-0 Oregon and make the Ducks run-rule eligible.

“It’s huge to get the bottom of the order going,” head coach Mike White said. “I was a little surprised the first innings when Nikki and Svekis didn’t cash in but overall they had very good weekends.”

Following the homer, Hofstra changed pitchers to bring in Alyssa Irons but that didn’t slow down Oregon’s attack. A triple from Lauren Lindvall was succeeded by an RBI single from Darya Kaboli-Nejad.

An RBI double for Haley Cruse scored Kaboli-Nejad to make it 10-0 with still only one out. Oregon used four straight pinch hitters in the bottom of the fourth.

Udria knocked home the 11th run with a loaded bases RBI single and loaded bases walk made it 12-0 but Hofstra struck out Rhodes to end the inning.

The long inning meant Balint could get cold, which prompted her to warm up again before the fifth.

“It’s hard to sit on the bench and not throw for about 10, 15 minutes,” White said.

Balint walked the first batter of the fifth inning, walked the third and Courtney Scarpato hit an RBI single to left to score Hofstra’s first run and deny Balint a no-hitter. A pop-out to Lilley at third ended the game, 12-1 win for the Ducks.

Oregon will return to action next weekend when Cal comes to town to open Pac-12 play. The Ducks’ scheduled doubleheader versus Portland State on Wednesday was canceled.

“I just told them I don’t care what the record is,” White said. “The new season starts this week and we’ve got to be ready for that.”

Follow Shawn Medow on Twitter @ShawnMedow

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