Oregon overcame a six-run deficit to defeat Oregon State 10-9 at PK Park on Sunday afternoon, marking the first time since 2011 that the Ducks have won a three game series against their in-state rivals.
“As disappointed in my ball club as I was last night, I’m that much more proud of them today,” head coach George Horton said. “We were the antithesis of last night. We battled and put ourselves in a position to win the game. ”
Oregon (21-16, 4-8) starter Conor Harber, who was making his first appearance since suffering a shoulder injury last weekend, had a rough start. The junior lasted just two innings before the Beaver (23-11, 6-6) lineup started crushing his pitches all over the ballpark.
Horton called on reliever/catcher Josh Graham to carry his team through at least the next few innings.
Graham – who finished catching a nine-inning game on Saturday night – went to work and turned in more than just middle relief. The junior utility-man pitched a career-high 6.0 innings, allowing just one earned run on five hits and five strikeouts.
“I didn’t expect to go that long,” Graham said. “I was trying not to strike everybody out, just pitch to contact, keep the ball low in the zone and let my defense do the work.”
After scoring nine runs in the first three innings, Graham shut the Beavers down for the rest of the way and posted scoreless frames in innings four-through-eight. Garrett Cleavinger picked up where Graham left off with a scoreless ninth to pick up the save (4).
Oregon’s offense was equally impressive, as the Ducks’ struggling offense found a way to score 10 runs against the Pac-12’s third best pitching staff.
The Ducks manufactured three runs in the second inning, then found themselves down 9-3 in the third inning after an Oregon State double, single and back-to-back wild pitches plated six more runs.
With plenty of time left on their hands, the Ducks got to work.
Brandon Cuddy started things off with a 3-run home run to cut the Beavers’ lead to 9-6. Then Phil Craig-St. Louis followed suit with a 3-run dinger of his own in the fourth to tie the game.
Both teams watched their pitchers settle in and kept each other off the scoreboard until an Oregon State error pushed an Oregon runner into scoring position in the eighth inning.
With the win in sight, Craig-St. Louis hacked at the first pitch he saw and shot a hard grounder into right field to give Oregon its first lead of the game.
To Horton, Oregon’s first series win over Oregon State since 2011 can’t be understated.
“Hopefully it’s a springboard,” Horton said. “I’m going to remind them to keep that feeling and that tenacity and that battle mentality on Wednesday when we go against Portland.”
Follow Josh Schlichter on Twitter @joshschlichter

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Oregon pitcher Conor Harber (11) throws the ball over home plate at the top of the first inning. The Oregon Ducks play the Oregon State Beavers at PK Park on Sunday, April 12, 2015. (Natalie Hardwicke/Emerald)