No. 10 Oregon (31-13) beat Gonzaga (27-15) last night, 3-2, in the first of two midweek games. Jordan Spencer@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=94833&SPID=11401&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205381245&Q_SEASON=2011@@ got the start for the Ducks, picking up his third win of the season.@@http://www.goducks.com/downloads2/451570.pdf?ATCLID=205422551&SPSID=94831&SPID=11401&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500@@ The victory extends Oregon’s winning streak to four games after a weekend sweep of California.@@http://www.goducks.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&KEY=&SPID=11401&SPSID=94835@@
Spencer struck out four and gave up just two runs on seven hits through six innings, frustrating Gonzaga by stranding seven baserunners.@@http://www.goducks.com/downloads2/451570.pdf?ATCLID=205422551&SPSID=94831&SPID=11401&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500@@ He was able to pitch out of jams, even getting out of a bases-loaded situation in the third inning.
Kenny Smith took the loss for Gonzaga, despite giving up just three hits in a seven inning performance.@@see previous link@@ Oregon batters went a combined 3-30@@see prev@@ on the night but used a home run and an unearned run in the seventh inning to take the win.
The Bulldogs got off to an early 2-0 lead with runs in the second and fourth inning before the Ducks tied the game in the sixth inning on a two-out home run for Kyle Garlick. He leads the Ducks in two-out RBI with 15, including eight in the Ducks last nine games.
It was the sixth home run of the season for him,@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205382700@@ moving him out of a tie with Aaron Jones for the team lead. Garlick joins four@@http://www.pac-12.org/portals/7/images/baseball/stats/2011-12/HTML/lgplyrs.htm@@ others in the Pac-12 who are tied for eighth in the conference’s home run race.
The Ducks took the lead an inning later on a sacrifice bunt from Aaron Payne that allowed Connor Hofmann to score the eventual winning run. Hofmann reached base on Gonzaga’s second error of the evening and advanced first-to-third on a Kevin Shepherd single.@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205422551@@
With the lead in the bottom of the seventh inning, the Ducks gave the ball to set up Tommy Thorpe who struck out two and gave up just one hit in two innings of work before Jimmie Sherfy closed out the game; Sherfy earned his 11th save of the season.@@http://www.goducks.com/downloads2/451570.pdf?ATCLID=205422551&SPSID=94831&SPID=11401&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500@@
Sherfy didn’t earn the save without making things interesting, however. He gave up a walk and a hit to consecutive batters in the ninth, and a sacrifice bunt moved the tying and winning runs into scoring position. However, he got Billy Moon to strike out to end the game.@@see prev@@
The Ducks play Gonzaga again Wednesday night before traveling to Tucson for a pivotal weekend series against a No. 11 Arizona team tied that sits just one game behind the first-place Ducks in the conference standings.@@checked pac12@@