Everyone knew, including the Ducks, that it wouldn’t be easy to sweep the Huskies on the road. Oregon needed to go 11 innings, but it was able to defeat Washington 6-5 to complete the three-game weekend set in a cold and windy Seattle.
The Ducks moved to 24-11 overall, 10-5 in conference action, and are now tied for first place with Oregon State. Washington fell to 16-18 overall and 6-12 in Pac-12 play.
This game went back and forth with Washington erasing a 4-1 deficit with two in the sixth and one in the eighth.
It looked like the Ducks were going to get out of there with a win in the 10th after Tanner Smith belted his ninth home run of the season to give Oregon a 5-4 lead. But Washington’s Johnny Tincher crushed the first pitch he saw out of Kolby Somers’ hand over the scoreboard in left and it was once again tied 5-5.
The Huskies had a golden opportunity to win the game later in the 10th as they managed to get runners on second and third off an obviously tired Somers. The Oregon closer had pitched in three consecutive games and he didn’t have his usual stuff.
Somers buckled down and struck out Cole Miller and coaxed Christian Dicochea to pop out to second to extend the game.
The Ducks used some two-out lightning to grab the lead as Gavin Grant walked and a Smith single. Colby Shade was able to drive in Grant with a liner to right-center for the 6-5 lead. Thankfully for the Ducks, there would be no fireworks in the bottom half of the 11th. Christian Ciuffetelli walked one batter, but that was it for his first save of the year.
Tincher put a mild scare into the Ducks with his fly ball to center that Bryce Boettcher caught on the warning track.
Oregon will now make a quick stop in Portland to play the Pilots on Tuesday before hosting Washington State for a weekend series at PK Park. The Ducks and Pilots are scheduled for a 5 p.m. first pitch.