EUGENE, Ore. – Oregon's J.B. Bryant drew a bases-loaded walk from Troy Rallings in the 11th inning to force in the winning run and give the Ducks a walk-off, series-clinching 3-2 win over Washington Sunday at PK Park in Eugene.
Rallings (3-3), nearing his 100th pitch in four-plus innings of relief, gave up a one-out walk, hit a batter and walked another to load the bases. He struck out Scott Heineman for the second out, but fell behind 3-1 to Bryant before missing low to force in the winning run.
The loss for the Huskies (23-18, 8-13 Pac-12) was their 10th by one run in Conference play.
Oregon (25-19, 7-11) had several opportunities to end the game in regulation and in the 10th inning, but stranded 13 runners in the first 10 innings, including nine in scoring position.
The Ducks looked poised to win the game in the ninth when centerfielder Braden Bishop dropped a fly ball hit by Jakob Goldfarb to start the inning that went for a three-base error. With a five-man infield, and one out and the bases loaded, Heineman lifted a fly ball to Bishop in left field. Pinch-runner Austin Grebeck tried to score on the play, but Bishop gunned him out at home to end the threat and force extra innings.
The Huskies also had several opportunities to grab the lead but struggled to get a timely hit. While the Ducks were 1 for 18 with runners in scoring position, the Huskies went 0 for 9.
The Huskies did string together three-straight hits in the third and jumped ahead 1-0. After Joey Morgan doubled to put runners at second and third, Bishop grounded out to short allowing Jack Meggs to score.
The lead was short-lived, though, as the Ducks strung together three hits of their own in the third to tie the game at 1-1. Goldfarb picked up the game-tying RBI on a single, scoring Mark Karaviotis who reached via a triple.
The score remained tied until the sixth when the Huskies loaded the bases with nobody out. Branden Berry hit into a 6-4-3 double play that allowed Bishop to score and make it 2-1, but that would be all the Huskies would get.
Oregon would eventually get the equalizer in the seventh. Mitchell Tolman doubled off Brandon Choate with one out and came around to score on a ground out by Phil Craig-St. Louis that made it 2-2. The score would remain that way until the fateful 11th inning.
Ducks closer Garrett Cleavinger (3-1) pitched the final two innings, striking out six and allowing one hit to earn the win.
The Huskies were outhit 9-7. Meggs was the only UW player with multi-hits, going 2 for 3 with a run scored.
Washington is back on the field tomorrow, hosting Washington State in a non-conference game at Husky Ballpark. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. and the game will be telecast by the Pac-12 Network with Rich Burk and Kevin Stocker on the call.
Oregon (25-19, 7-11) 3, Washington (23-18, 8-13) 2 (11 innings)
UW 001 001 000 00 –- 2 7 1
UO 001 000 100 01 –- 3 9 1
LOB: UW 8, UO 16. Josh Fredendall, Brandon Choate (4), Troy Rallings (7) and Joey Morgan; Josh Graham, Kohl Hostert (6), Trent Paddon (6), Stephen Nogosek (8), Garrett Cleavinger (10) and Tim Susnara, Shaun Chase (9). W – Cleavinger (3-1). L – Rallings (3-3). Sv – none. HR – none. 3B – UO, Nick Karaviotis, Brandon Cuddy. 2B – UW, Joey Morgan; UO, Mitchell Tolman (2), Tim Susnara. Time – 4:12. Attendance – 1,472.
