Ducks fight back but lose regional opener
Louisville, Ky. — Oregon rallied to tie the game in the seventh inning before Michigan hit its third two-run home run of the game to secure an 8-6 win in the opening round of the Louisville Regional on Friday night at Patterson Stadium.
The Ducks (35-24) trailed by four heading into the bottom of the fifth inning before scoring in three consecutive innings to knot the game, but the Wolverines (33-26) answered to advance to play Louisville in the winner's bracket on Saturday.
How It Happened: Michigan took the early lead with a run in the second inning on just one hit sandwiched by a pair of walks and a ground ball where Oregon could not turn what would have been an inning-ending double play.
The Wolverines added to the lead in the top of the third. After Christian Ciuffetelli retired the first two batters, he hit the next batter before Jimmy Obertop launched a two-run home run over the right-field wall for a 3-0 lead.
The Ducks cut the lead to one run in the bottom of the fourth with some help from Michigan. Josh Kasevich reached on his second hit-by-pitch of the game with one out, before moving to third on an Anthony Hall double that landed just inside the left-field foul line. Michigan threw the ball away getting the ball back into the infield allowing Kasevich to score and Hall to move to third before scoring on a wild pitch.
Michigan got the two runs right back in the top of the fifth when Obertop slugged his second two-run home run of the day. The Wolverines added another run in the inning with two more hits and a base on balls for a 6-2 lead.
Brennan Milone cut the lead back to three, ripping his second double of the day into the right-field gap to score Gavin Grant from first in the fifth. Then in the sixth, Josiah Cromwick laced a double into left-center field scoring Kasevich from first to cut the lead to two.
Oregon came all the way back to tie it with two more runs in the seventh. Milone continued his blistering hot day with a solo home run that cleared the left-field bleacher to climb to within one. Then after a Kasevich hustle double, Anthony Hall doubled into the right-field corner scoring Kasevich to tie the game.
Michigan snatched the momentum back in the top of the eighth inning. Clark Elliott reached on a check-swing infield hit and then scored on a Matt Frey home run.
Box Score Notes: Eight of Oregon's 10 hits went for extra bases … Oregon's seven doubles tied the club's season high … Milone finished with two doubles moving his season total to 15, tied for the ninth most in a season at Oregon … Milone (3-for-5, HR, 2 RBI, 2 2B) tallied his 24th multi-hit game and 15th multi-RBI game of the season … His home run was his 11th, moving Milone into a tie for eighth on the single-season list … Kasevich (2-for-2, 3 R, 2 HBP) finished with his 21st multi-hit game of the year and the 45th of his career, tying him with Brett Thomas (2011-13) for 10th all-time at Oregon … Hall (2-for-4, RBI, R, 2 2B) had his 20th multi-hit game of the year and the 35th of his career … His two doubles gave him 10 for the season, one shy of cracking Oregon's top 10 … Ciuffetelli made the start, his eighth in Oregon's last 15 games.
On Deck: Oregon meets Southeast Missouri State at 9 a.m. (PT) on Saturday with the winner advancing to Sunday's action.