Pac-12 baseball teams are quickly learning that the Ducks are never out of a game.
Oregon rallied from a 6-3 deficit in the eighth inning with five runs to stun Utah 8-6 and take the weekend series over the Utes. The Ducks improve to 12-6 overall, 4-1 in conference play, and will now go for the sweep tomorrow morning at PK Park.
The late-inning rally got started after an out was recorded, but then two walks and a hit batter set the table for Gavin Grant’s single to left to make it 6-4 Utes. Tanner Smith, who earlier homered, laced a single to right that scored both Sam Novitske and Josiah Cromwick.
With the scored tied 6-6 and still just one out, Oregon saw the runners move to second and third thanks to a wild pitch. Colby Shade hit a sacrifice fly to right to give the Ducks the 7-6 lead and Brennan Milone, who also homered during this game, drove in Smith for some insurance.
Closer Kolby Somers came into the ninth and earned his second save of the season.
Oregon starting pitcher Isaac Ayon kept his team in the game with his six innings of work where he gave up four runs, one earned, seven hits, and three strikeouts. It could have been worse for Ayon as he buckled down in the sixth. After giving up the go-ahead run, he found himself in deeper trouble with runners on second and third with just one out. Ayon managed to whiff Dakota Duffalo and get Carter Booth to ground out.
In the series finale, Oregon will send out Caleb Sloan (0-1, 2.70 ERA) to go up against Cam Day (1-1, 4.42 ERA) for Utah. The game is scheduled to be televised on Pac-12 Oregon/Mountain at 11 a.m. PT.