Ducks open USC series with win
OREGON ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 2022
BASEBALL | @OregonBaseball
COMMUNICATIONS CONTACT: Todd Miles (miles@uoregon.edu)
Ducks open USC series with win
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Box Score Attached (PDF Version)
EUGENE, Ore. — Oregon hit a pair of home runs to take an early lead and then the Ducks bullpen tossed four scoreless innings to preserve a 9-7 Pac-12 Conference win over USC in game one of the series at PK Park on Friday night.
The Ducks extended their school record for consecutive games with a home run to 14 in the first inning on a Josh Kasevich three-run home run, and then extended their consecutive games with multiple home runs to six games with a Brennan Milone two-run shot in the third.
How It Happened: The Ducks (15-6, 6-1 Pac-12) jumped out to an early 3-0 lead on the Kasevich two-out, three-run homer. Tanner Smith reached on an error to lead off the inning before Jacob Walsh singled moving Smith to second base.
USC (13-7, 3-4 Pac-12) answered to tie the game with a three-run homer of their own in the top of the second, before taking the lead with a run in the top of the third.
Oregon came right back scoring four in the bottom of the third. Colby Shade doubled to lead off the inning and scored on Milone's two-run homer. Jacob Walsh doubled before being thrown out at third looking to advance on a Kasevich ground ball.
Anthony Hall doubled to put runners at second and third with one out. Josiah Cromwick drove in Kasevich with a ground out before Hall scored on a Sam Novitske infield single to give Oregon a 7-4 lead.
The Ducks added two more runs in the fourth to push the lead to five. Smith led off the inning with a single and moved to second on a Shade single and to third on a Milone fly out. After Shade moved to second on a wild pitch, Walsh picked up an RBI single scoring Smith and moving Shade to third. Kasevich then drove in his fourth run of the game with a ground out scoring Shade.
USC cut the lead to three with a run in the fifth and two runs in the sixth off Oregon starter RJ Gordon, forcing the Ducks to the bullpen.
Once again, Oregon's relievers responded. Logan Mercado, Dylan Sabia, Matt Dallas and Kolby Somers combined to throw four scoreless innings and clinch the Ducks' win.
Box Score Notes: All nine Oregon starters had at least one hit, with five of them finishing with multiple hits … Smith (2-for-5, 2 R) extended his team-best hitting streak to 12 games, while Shade (2-for-5, 2 R) pushed his hitting streak to 10 games … Smith's registered his 48th career multi-hit game, tying Spencer Steer (2017-19) for seventh all time at Oregon … Kasevich (1-for-4, 4 RBI, 2 R) had multiple-RBI for the 23rd time in his career, moving into sole possession of eighth all-time … Gordon picked up his first win of the season … Somers got his third save of the season and the 15th of his career, moving to within one of Stephen Nogosek (2014-16) for third all-time.
Up Next: Oregon will look to clinch the series with a win over USC on Saturday. First pitch is at 2:05 p.m. at PK Park.