Ducks lose heartbreaker
SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Oregon battled back from a 4-2 deficit to tie the game in the top of the eighth, but San Diego scored the eventual winning run in the bottom half of the inning on a bases-loaded walk to clinch the series with a 5-4 win on Sunday.
The Ducks have a chance to salvage a game in the four-game series on Monday when they meet the Toreros at noon.
How It Happened: Oregon (0-3) drew first blood for the first time in the series taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. True freshman Jacob Walsh started the rally with a one-out single before moving to second on a Brennan Milone base hit and to third on an infield hit by Anthony Hall.
Josh Kasevich picked up the RBI, while narrowly missing a grand slam, with a sacrifice fly to the warning track in center field.
San Diego took the lead in the third with a pair of runs and added two more in the fourth for a 4-1 lead. The Toreros two third inning runs came after a single and a pair of walks, while the two runners who scored in the fourth reached on a base on balls and a hit-by-pitch.
Oregon chipped at the Toreros lead eventually tying the game in the eighth after scoring single runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth.
Gavin Grant start the comeback with a solo home run, the first of the season for the Ducks, over the right field wall to cut the lead to 4-2.
Milone, who went 4-for-4, made it a one-run game with a solo shot over the left-center field wall. Milone also started the eighth inning rally with a one-out single.
The Ducks tied the game on a controversial call in the eighth inning on a play that should have given Oregon the lead. With runners on first and second, pinch hitter Drew Cowley dropped a ball over the third baseman's head in shallow left field that scored pinch runner Tyler Ganus.
After landing in fair territory, Cowley's ball spun into foul territory and eventually into the San Diego bullpen where it should have been ruled a dead ball for being out of play (according to the ground rules for Fowler Park) allowing Josh Kasevich to score all the way from first.
Instead, umpires never ruled the ball out of play and Kasevich was tagged out at home ending the inning and sending it to the bottom of the eighth tied.
San Diego (3-0) took advantage of the opportunity. After a leadoff infield hit off Christian Ciuffetelli, Oregon handed the ball to closer Kolby Somers who walked three of the six batters he faced including the final one with the bases loaded for a 5-4 lead.
Box Score Notes: Milone's four-hits were a career high besting his previous high of two … His homer was the fourth of his career and his first as a Duck … Milone's multiple hits marked his second-consecutive game with multi-hits, running his career total to four … Grant's dinger was the third of his career … Freshman Jacob Walsh (2-for-4, 1 R) had his second multiple-hit game of the series … Three runners were thrown out at home plate (two Oregon, one San Diego) … Oregon pitchers combined to walk nine Torero hitters with another reaching on a HBP … The 10 free passes ran the total to 26 in the series after eight combined walks and HBPs in each of the first two games.
On Deck: The Ducks wrap up the four-game series with the Toreros at noon on Monday. Oregon sends true freshman Tommy Brandenburg to the mound for his collegiate debut, while USD counters with Ryan Kysar.