Oregon baseball goes down to Utah in conference tourney opener
So far in the Pac-12 baseball tournament, having a higher number beside your name is a huge plus.
The 7-seeded Utah Utes scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh to stun Oregon 4-2 in the conference tournament opener for the Ducks. Utah lost to USC the day before.
With the loss, Oregon’s hopes to advance to the semifinal are slim, but they have to defeat the Trojans Thursday afternoon to even have any thoughts of possibly repeating as tournament champions.
Utah’s pitching staff that consisted of Bryson Van Sickle and Merit Jones held the Duck bats to just two runs and four hits. It’s no surprise this was a pitcher’s duel as Van Sickle was named the Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year on Monday. He lived up to the billing as he allowed the two runs and the four hits while striking out six.
Instead of going with their usual Friday night starter RJ Gordon, the Ducks went with Brock Moore, who did an admirable job. He went four innings and gave up two runs on seven hits and struck out seven Utes.
Logan Mercado went two innings, including an inning-ending double play that saved a run in the sixth. Bradley Mullan went the rest of the way, but was touched up for the two runs in the seventh that gave Utah the lead.
With the bases loaded and two outs, the Utes third baseman Matt Flaherty hit a ball up the middle that snuck under Mullan’s glove and into center field.
Unfortunately for Oregon, that was more than enough for Jones who earned a two-inning save, his first save on the season.
Now the Ducks will face USC at 2:30 pm Thursday where they have to win and hope the tiebreakers work out in their favor. If they don’t, the Ducks will fly home and wait to see where they go in the NCAA tournament.
