On a cold and rainy (Kamino-like) May the 4th, a 4-1 Utes’ advantage got erased faster than Alderan did as Oregon rallied to earn the series-opening win over Utah (19-13, 14-7)

After Friday’s contest was postponed due to rain, the No. 25 Utes (29-14, 14-8 Pac-12) and No. 21 Ducks (31-14, 13-9 Pac-12) planned on playing two on Saturday. The force was with Oregon as it earned a 7-5 win to take a 1-0 advantage in the series.

Despite the eventual comeback, the Ducks resembled Greedo on Saturday as they shot and scored first. 

Utah starter Bryson Van Sickle entered the day with the second-best ERA in the Pac-12 at 2.62, but the Ducks brought his numbers up with a Jacob Walsh RBI groundout in the first to break the ice in Saturday’s opener.

It was a lead that would last until the third. Oregon starter RJ Gordon got tagged for a pair of runs on a couple hits and an error. Only one of the runs was earned, but the Utes had their first advantage of the weekend. 

After Gordon loaded the bases with free passes in the fourth, Kai Roberts drove home a pair with a single to center. Roberts entered the day with 48 RBIs — good for the fourth-most in the Pac-12. He added two more in game one during his 2-4 day.

But then, just like the empire, Oregon struck back. 

Bryce Boettcher gave the Ducks some much-needed offense in the fourth with his fourth homer in his last three games. His ninth blast of the season plated a pair and brought the Ducks within one. 

The next frame, Walsh sent his 17th blast of the season — good for second-most in the Pac-12 — out to right-center. A blast that made it halfway to Naboo gave the Ducks a 5-4 advantage. 

The homer left Gordon in line for the win after his 5.0 innings of four-run, five hit ball. He fanned five and walked four. While it wasn’t the perfect start, it did nicely for Oregon and put the Ducks in a good spot to seize the series opener. Thanks to the Ducks’ bullpen, he did so. Gordon is now 6-4 on the year with a 4.67 ERA.

VanSickle finished with 6.0 innings of five-run, eight-hit ball that featured eight Ks and just one walk. His ERA rose from 2.62 to 3.03 as the Ducks did more damage to the lefty than most competitors had in 2024. He earned his first loss of the season at PK Park at the hands of the Ducks. 

The Ducks got a pair of insurance runs in the seventh from a pair of pinch-hitters. Anson Aroz drove in a run with a single up the middle before Justin Cassella plated Aroz with a double to left. The Oregon bullpen had some insurance runs.

A combination of Ryan Featherston, Bradley Mullan and Logan Mercado closed out the win. The trio allowed just one run on one hit — both charged to Mullan — in their dominant effort. 

Mercado inherited a bases-loaded, no-out scenario in the ninth, but shut down the Utes to earn his seventh save of the season. 

There wasn’t a media availability conference after the first game. Game two between the Utes and Ducks is expected to start at 3:15 as the Ducks go for the series win.