The Oregon Ducks baseball team won the Santa Barbara Regional with pitching and defense and they were hoping for much of the same this weekend in the Bryan-College Station Super Regional.
Neither was present in Game 1 Saturday afternoon as the Ducks dropped the opener to Texas A&M 10-6.
Starting pitcher RJ Gordon, who was brilliant last week against San Diego, didn’t have his best stuff on the mound and he struggled to get through four innings. The Aggies hit him around for seven runs, six earned, nine hits and most importantly, four walks that all came around to score.
By the time Gordon exited the game, it was 7-6 Aggies. Ryan Featherston came in from the bullpen and it didn’t get much better. He got out of the third, but walked the bases loaded in the fourth before Logan Mercado came in. He managed to limit the damage somewhat, but all three runners scored and it was 10-6 after five innings of play.
Mercado stayed in and held the Aggies off the board. But after a promising start from the Oregon bats, they were held scoreless from the third inning on.
The Ducks got to Texas A&M ace Ryan Prager right from the get-go. Anson Aroz got the fireworks started in the top of the first with a two-run homer that sailed over the scoreboard in left-center field.
After the Aggies took a 3-2 lead. the Ducks answered with four runs in the second. Aroz’s single gave the Ducks the 4-3 lead and Chase Meggers’ double to the wall made it 6-3.
In the middle of all the scoring early on, Texas A&M’s top player, Braden Mongomery injured his leg sliding into home. He was helped off the field and was fitted with an air cast. He came into the series with 27 homers and 85 RBI.
Grayson Grinsell is expected to start Game 2 on the mound with the hopes of keeping the Ducks’ season alive. First pitch is scheduled for 4:30 pm PST on ESPN2 on Sunday.