Oregon baseball’s bats exploded Sunday, and the Ducks avoided a sweep at Arizona State with a 12-2 win.
Five players had multi-hit games, and thanks to a bases-loaded, two-run double in the top of the first from Austin Grebeck, Oregon never trailed. The lead had stretched to 5-0 by the second, which likely helped freshman Matt Mercer settle into his first start.
Replacing Matt Krook in the weekend rotation, Mercer held the Sun Devils to just two runs on 10 hits over six innings. Mercer also struck out five and didn’t issue a single walk. Isaiah Carranza, also a freshman, then held Arizona State’s batters hitless during the final three innings.
AJ Balta topped what was a dominant week at the plate with two hits and two runs batted in. Nick Catalano added two RBIs as well, and Tim Susnara supplied a three-run double in a pinch hit role.
The offensive outbreak paired with strong pitching from Mercer and Carranza resulted in the Ducks’ first Pac-12 win on the road since March 25. The Ducks are now 10-11 in conference and tied for fifth with Oregon State, Stanford and UCLA.
Oregon will play a two-game series against Gonzaga Monday, before heading to Corvallis for a three game set with Oregon State.
Follow Justin Wise on Twitter @JustinFWise