Takeaways: Oregon baseball fights back to take series against Washington Huskies
Though the No. 24 Oregon baseball team dropped its series opener in Seattle against Washington this weekend, the Ducks rallied back to defeat the Huskies on Saturday and Sunday to earn their second straight series win.
The Ducks (34-16, 16-11 Pac-12) built up a 6-0 lead Friday before a disastrous fourth inning on the mound led to a 7-6 loss after Oregon's bats went quiet. Oregon homered three times in the first four innings, with Maddox Molony, Mason Neville, and Drew Smith helping Oregon to the early lead before starting pitcher RJ Gordon ran into trouble in the bottom of the fourth.
The Friday starter pitched six innings and allowed six runs on three walks and seven hits. Reliever Ryan Featherston was tagged with the loss, pitching one inning and allowing a run on three hits with two strikeouts. The Huskies (19-25-1, 10-17 Pac-12) scored four runs in that fourth, two more in the sixth and the winning run in the seventh.
Brock Moore continues dominant stretch
In Game 2 on Saturday the Ducks responded with a dominant 13-6 win to even the series and clinch a berth into the Pac-12 Tournament in late May. Oregon hit four home runs and were led by Chase Meggers five RBIs at the dish. After starter Grayson Grinsell ran into trouble in the fourth inning, Oregon reliever Brock Moore put together another strong outing. The senior pitched five innings of relief, striking out eight and allowing just three hits before Logan Mercado got the last out.
In the series-deciding game Sunday, Oregon held off UW, 5-3. Kevin Seitter had a strong and steady day on the mound, pitching 6 1/3 innings and allowing three runs on six hits with nine strikeouts. Mercado earned his eighth save of the season in the final inning of a two-run ballgame. At the plate, Neville went 2 for 3 with two runs scored and Bennett Thompson went 2 for 3 with an RBI and a double.
What's next for Oregon baseball?
The Ducks take on Washington State (21-28, 9-17) in their final conference series of regular season play before the Pac-12 Tournament begins in Arizona May 21. Oregon is currently sitting fourth in the conference standings but could move up or down depending on how games shake out next week. First pitch of the series opener against WSU is at 6:05 p.m. Thursday at PK Park.
Alec Dietz covers University of Oregon football, volleyball, women’s basketball and baseball for The Register-Guard. You may reach him at adietz@registerguard.com and you can follow him on X @AlecDietz.
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Takeaways from Oregon baseball's series win over Washington in Seattle
