The Oregon Ducks went on the road for the first time this year, hoping a change of scenery would quell their three-game losing streak.
It did not. Facing a Washington State team that was recently named to a top-25 poll for the first time since 2010, Jace Stoffal struggled on the mound and the offense failed to get much going, resulting in a 7-1 loss in Friday’s series opener. Oregon hitters struck out 17 times in the beating.
Stoffal said on Wednesday that his goal was to limit full counts and go deeper into the game, after his pitch count forced him to go only four innings against UCLA.
That didn’t happen. He threw 20 pitches in the first inning, then labored through 36 pitches in the second, with the Cougars scoring three runs on back-to-back doubles and a two-run homer. He had trouble locating his breaking stuff and continuously fell into deep counts, just as he did in his previous start.
After the two-run homer, Stoffal issued back-to-back walks, with the last ball being thrown behind the batter. Following a mound visit, he stopped the bleeding while collecting his third strikeout, but his pitch count climbed up to 56.
Stoffal issued his fourth walk in the bottom of the third. Oregon’s second “strike ’em out, throw ’em out” double play of the game ended the inning with no damage.
The offense, meanwhile, struggled to hit right-hander Dakota Hawkins. He consistently got the Ducks to chase, striking out six through the first three innings. Drew Cowley reached on an error in the fourth, but he was immediately caught in a rundown trying to go to second. Tanner Smith went down looking for Oregon’s seventh strikeout to end the frame.
The Cougars scratched out a couple singles past Oregon gloves in the bottom of the fourth, then gained an extra base with aggressive baserunning. Stoffal’s day came to an end after 3 1/3 innings and 78 pitches.
Logan Mercado entered with two in scoring position and allowed both runners to score, one on a tremendously wild pitch and the other on a sacrifice fly. The Cougars still weren’t done, collecting a single and a run-scoring double to make it 6-0.
Hawkins finally cracked in the fifth. Colby Shade led off with an infield single for Oregon’s first hit, and Josiah Cromwick doubled. Carter Garate, getting his first start of the year, hit a first-pitch single up the middle to get the Ducks on the board.
Hawkins stopped the damage there. After recording his 10th strikeout in the sixth inning, he gave up a double to Sabin Ceballos and was pulled with 5 1/3 innings under his belt.
Shade drew a walk against reliever Cam Liss, but Jacob Walsh struck out for the third time to end the frame.
Mercado struck out the side in the fifth and threw a scoreless sixth, but Jacob McKeon destroyed a baseball for a solo homer in the seventh. The Cougars pulled their lead to 7-1.
The Ducks nearly had something going in the eighth but came up empty again. After Cowley hit a long single, Ceballos walked, continuing to stand out as Oregon’s most productive offensive player this year. But Oregon stranded two in scoring position as Walsh struck out for the fourth time.
Mercado wound up going 4 2/3 innings in relief, giving up two runs and striking out five. He settled in pretty nicely after looking shaky out of the gate. If there’s a positive to take away from Friday’s game, it’s that Mercado didn’t walk anyone and commanded his stuff for most of his outing.
Oregon’s offense went down quietly in the ninth. Chase Meggers pinch hit for Gavin Grant, who struck out three times, only to strike out himself. It was the 17th of the day for the Ducks, a season worst.
Oregon (9-7, 1-3 Pac-12) will look to even the series against Washington State (14-3, 3-1 Pac-12) Saturday at 2 p.m.