Saturday night’s contest with USC was exactly the type of win No. 17 Oregon needed to pull out.

After a deflating Friday loss without their ace, and an uneven start to Saturday’s matchup, the Ducks grinded, punched back and came out on top of a game that featured a plethora of lead changes and momentum shifts. They won by a score of 7-5 to even the series at a game apiece, giving them a chance to take the series on Sunday.

Logan Mercado struggled with command and home runs, much like he did in his last start against Arizona State, but he managed to throw over 100 pitches and go into the sixth inning to keep the Ducks in the game. USC starter Caden Aoki, on the other hand, kept the Ducks mostly at bay for six innings but faltered in the seventh, while his pitch count also climbed well over 100.

Sabin Ceballos, in his second game back in the lineup, swatted a home run against Aoki in the second inning to give Oregon an early 1-0 lead. USC responded with a leadoff homer of its own in the bottom of the inning, as Johnny Olmstead took Mercado deep.

Mercado then surrendered another leadoff homer in the third, giving the Trojans the lead. A single was erased on a caught stealing, but USC hit another solo shot — its third of the game, making it 3-1.

Like Friday’s game, the Ducks’ offense struggled to get a rally going in the early innings. Ceballos got another hit in the fourth and Jacob Walsh drew a walk, but Drew Smith struck out after working a 3-2 count.

Oregon caught a break in the bottom of the fourth, one that could have made its situation much more dire. Mercado’s command faltered as he issued three free passes to load the bases. With two outs, a ground ball to first base appeared to drive in two more USC runs on a close play, but it went into a replay review and was overturned into an out. It took those two runs off the board, keeping Oregon within a 3-1 margin.

Mercado settled in, retiring six in a row. The Ducks took advantage of USC’s stalled offense, chipping away for two runs in the top of the sixth. Colby Shade and Drew Cowley hit back-to-back singles, with each of them advancing an extra base on an error. Ceballos followed with his third hit, moving Cowley to third.

Tanner Smith grounded into a double play, but Cowley made a smart baserunning play between third and home. He initially stopped before running in to score, making it a brand new ballgame.

Mercado eclipsed 100 pitches in the bottom of the sixth, and gave up a single with two outs. That ended his evening, as he came up just short of completing six innings. The struggling Matt Dallas replaced him and continued to struggle. He hit a batter, then gave up a two-run double to put USC back in the lead, 5-3.

But the Ducks stormed back in the seventh with the offensive outburst they desperately needed. D. Smith led off with his fourth double of the year, and the seldom-used spark plug Tyler Ganus worked a pinch-hit walk. Still down by a pair, Gavin Grant bunted the tying runs into scoring position, but Rikuu Nishida bounced into a force out at the plate. Suddenly, Aoki was an out away from preserving the lead.

But the Ducks would have none of that.

Cowley fell into an 0-2 hole, then fouled off several tough pitches before lining one into left field for a two-run single. Cowley has been on an absolute tear lately, winning the most recent Pac-12 Player of the Week award and smashing five home runs in his previous five games. But even with the added power and accolades, he’s still got that clutch gene, and that’s what he’s ultimately known for.

Aoki’s evening came to an end after battling hard in a 113-pitch effort. Reliever Josh Blum walked Ceballos on four pitches to reload the bases, then took a quick exit. Against Kyle Wisch, USC’s third pitcher of the inning, T. Smith rocketed a ball that fell in center field for a go-ahead two-run double. The Ducks took their first lead since going up 1-0 in the second inning, coming out powerfully with a four-run seventh to take a 7-5 advantage.

Oregon loaded the bases again in the eighth on three more free passes. Shade and Cowley both drew full counts, but they both struck out and had nothing to show for their good at-bats. The missed opportunity kept USC in the game, with the Ducks still leading 7-5.

Dallas, after pitching a perfect seventh, wasn’t so effective in the eighth. He walked the first hitter, prompting Oregon to replace him with Grayson Grinsell. The left-handed freshman did his job, retiring all three batters with a pair of strikeouts.

Closer Josh Mollerus came in for the ninth and returned to his dominant ways, striking out two in a perfect frame. It put the finishing touches on a key victory, sending the Ducks home much happier than they were Friday night.

No. 17 Oregon (30-15, 13-9 Pac-12) will look to take a big rubber game against USC (26-19-1, 12-10 Pac-12) Sunday at noon.