It wasn’t the ideal start Cole Irvin was hoping for, especially considering the circumstances. A week after giving up nine earned runs on 15 hits in a 12-2 loss to Cal, the left-hander put Oregon in an early hole after USC muscled three runs on four hits, including a two-run home run off the bat of Timmy Robinson, in the the first.
Not that it really mattered, though.
Oregon’s offense took advantage of an erratic pitching performance from USC starter Mitch Hart and jumped on the Trojans in a season-high seven-run second inning that paved the way for a 12-8 victory Saturday, which clinches the team its second consecutive series win.
“We had some huge at-bats, I tip my hat to my guys,” Oregon manager George Horton said.
USC’s Hart, who came into Saturday’s game with a 6.23 ERA, struggled with his command throughout his 1.0 innings of work, walking four and loading the bases on three separate occasions. In the first, Oregon couldn’t take advantage, though, and scored just one run off a sacrifice fly from Jake Bennett.
Then came the second inning, one in which Hart left after loading the bases again, leaving Bernardo Flores to take the pounding that ensued. A.J. Balta began the offensive tirade after his double to right field scored two.
After Jake Bennett walked to load the bases again, Steven Packard singled up the middle to score two more. Tim Susnara followed with a perfect bunt down the third base line and beat out the throw to first, setting up another bases loaded opportunity for Daniel Patzlaff. And Patzlaff didn’t disappoint, hitting a bases clearing double off the wall to punctuate the inning.
“Our offense has been hit or miss lately, and lately we’ve been finding our stride,” Balta, who finished with three RBIs, said. “The last two games, they’ve scored first and we’ve tried to bounce back from that. Our goal is to just win every inning and punch first.”
Oregon would tack on runs in the fourth and fifth, including a solo home run from Travis Moniot, to push the lead to 10-3.
And Irvin responded to the run support by ensuring that USC wouldn’t provide a real threat again. The senior lasted seven innings, and gave up just two hits and two earned runs after the first. The result marked Irvin’s first win since March 4, who had a mix of bad luck and performances like the one against Cal in the month leading up to Saturday’s contest.
“I don’t know what continues to get into Cole’s way to get started and get into his rhythm,” Horton said. “The fact that we were able to answer back was critical. The [seven-run inning] was huge.”
Horton added that the metaphorical monkey has begun to jump off the batters’ back lately, and individuals like Balta, who came into Saturday hitting just .200, are displaying that.
A.J. Balta (33) celebrates after a run. The Oregon Ducks face the USC Trojans at PK Park in Eugene, Oregon on Friday, April 16. (Samuel Marshall/Emerald)
Balta, Packard, Susnara, Moniot and Austin Grebeck combined for 10 of Oregon’s 13 hits, and Oregon scored in double digits for the second time this week.
Although USC’s bats lacked the pop they had in the first, they didn’t go completely silent. Robinson’s effective day against Irvin continued in the sixth when he double home one run. He then scored on a wild pitch from Irvin a couple batters later.
Things then got interesting after Irvin exited in the eighth. Jack Karraker gave up two hits and one earned run after AJ Ramirez hit a double with two on. His inning ended on a sour note after Patzlaff mistimed a grounder at third with two outs, though. Another run scored because of it and Brac Warren came to the mound. Warren gave up an RBI single to the first batter he faced, before striking out Reggie Southall to end the inning with the score 11-8.
Oregon added one more after Nick Catalano’s single scored Packard, and Stephen Nogosek, aside form one walk, made quick and easy work of USC’s batters in the ninth to secure the win.
Oregon moved to 6-5 in the Pac-12 with the win, and Horton appeared especially encouraged by the team’s offense as of late. However, the command from his weekend rotation hasn’t been what he’d like it to be, and he mentioned that the new trick will be to avoid the monkey jumping off the batters’ back and onto his pitchers.
“That monkey jumping on the pitchers back, that’s what we’re going to talk about,” Horton said. “And we’re not going to let him get on there.”
For now, Oregon will enjoy its fourth consecutive win and look ahead to the possibility of getting its first sweep of a Pac-12 team this season Sunday.
First pitch in the series finale against USC is at 12 p.m. Sunday.
Follow Justin Wise on Twitter @JustinFWise