After a tough series loss to Oregon State, Oregon baseball got a chance to relax, regroup and get back into a rhythm against an inferior opponent, the University of San Francisco Dons.

The Ducks pulled out a 5-3 win Tuesday in the first of two midweek home games. It ended their brief two-game losing streak — the shortest streak they’ve had this year. 

Jackson Pace broke out of a slump with a strong outing on the mound, and the offense did just enough to come out with the victory. The Dons’ less-than-stellar defense made things easier on Oregon as well. The final score was perhaps closer than it should have been, with the Ducks going 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position and allowing the Dons to scratch out some late runs.

“I think we did enough to win,” head coach Mark Wasikowski said. “Obviously, I was really impressed with Pace’s start that he gave us. I just think that he threw the ball over the plate with better intent. He was able to throw two secondary pitches in there for strikes as well, which is tremendous.”

The Ducks had a prime scoring chance in the first inning, putting runners on the corners with one out after Drew Cowley lined a single against San Francisco starter Max Jones. But Sabin Ceballos and Tanner Smith, two of Oregon’s most dangerous hitters, both made weak outs as the Ducks came up empty.

San Francisco shortstop Ryan Martinez had an eventful second inning. He made an error on a routine ground ball, then came up just short on a line drive hit by Jackson Jaha. But on an even harder line drive off Gavin Grant’s bat, Martinez caught it and turned an inning-ending double play.

Pace, coming off a rough stretch of outings, looked much calmer and more composed from the offset. He struck out the first batter on three pitches and retired the first five he faced. He didn’t allow a hit until the fourth inning.

“It’s nice to know that that’s the guy that’s supposed to get on, and then he doesn’t get on, and that was because of me,” Pace said.

The Ducks’ offense broke through with a trio of runs in the third inning. Cowley drove in two with his second hit of the game. The third came in on San Francisco’s second error, this time a throwing error by second baseman Blake Atkins where first baseman Christian Stapleton made no effort to help out.

Oregon scored two more in the fourth. Grant reached with a bunt groundout that was overturned into a hit, and Colby Shade singled off the third baseman’s glove. Ceballos lined a two-run single, and the Ducks took a 5-0 lead.

Pace permitted a couple baserunners in each of the fourth and fifth innings, but escaped unscathed both times. He only struck out two batters, but he induced a lot of soft contact in a very solid performance. It was his first quality start since March 4.

“It’s trial and error,” Pace said. “You kind of look at your old outings and what was good about them, and where you were at mentally or physically, what worked for that, and then you try and repeat that. And then most of the time you get a better result.”

Grayson Grinsell pitched a perfect sixth, but ran into trouble in the seventh. He allowed a single and a walk, and was pulled with two outs. Matthew Grabmann replaced him and walked the first batter — then surrendered a two-run single. After a subsequent run-scoring double, the tying runs were suddenly in scoring position with Oregon’s lead reduced to 5-3.

Grabmann, struggling with command, settled down and induced a critical groundout to short. It was a rough inning for the Ducks, but Grabmann narrowly avoided making it a much rougher inning.

“He didn’t look scared,” Wasikowski said. “He attacked hitters, and actually made a really clutch pitch to get that 6-3 groundout, 3-2 slider in that spot. He made a clutch pitch when he needed to to get out of the jam. He wasn’t perfect, but I was proud of his competitiveness.”

With less wiggle room to work with, Oregon elected to go to closer Josh Mollerus for a six-out save. He got to face his old team, with whom he spent the last four years.

Mollerus wasn’t perfect either — at least by his standards — allowing a rare hit and a wild pitch. He induced four consecutive fly ball outs, getting through the final two innings unscathed. But with slightly harder contact against him, he wasn’t pleased with his performance.

“There was a bunch of times where I had a chance to put away guys with pitches and not have them even make contact,” Mollerus said. “Multiple 1-2, a couple 2-2 counts, where balls ended up getting put into play and against a team with higher quality hitters. Those get punished sometimes.”

Mollerus, despite his relatively shakier outing, has now thrown 17 innings this year without giving up a run. He had a breakout season last year with a 3.96 ERA for the Dons, but he’s elevated his game to an entirely new level.

“Not focusing on my numbers, just trying to get better every day in between outings,” Mollerus said. “Removing any distractions that I might have had the previous season. All the small things that go on in a typical baseball season; avoiding those and just focusing on getting better at practice, and then off the field as well.”

Oregon (21-9) will look to make it a two-game sweep of San Francisco (13-14) Wednesday at noon.