It was a sunny, bustling Saturday at PK Park. The stands were more packed than they’ve been all season, with numerous families and fans coming out to watch the red hot Oregon baseball team.

“I thought the crowd was great,” head coach Mark Wasikowski said. “The environment’s great; the baseball’s been really an exciting product for people to watch.”

The Ducks put up quite a fight, but they ultimately lost a back-and-forth affair 6-5 to USC. The loss ended their five-game winning streak and evened their series with the Trojans at one game apiece. 

Control continued to be an issue on the mound, as Oregon issued a go-ahead hit batter on two separate occasions. The offense put 11 hits together but couldn’t quite stage a comeback in the late innings.

“If you paid for a ticket, you got your money’s worth. I can say that much,” Wasikowski said. “Disappointed when we lose. Not happy that we did that.”

In the first inning, Oregon got back-to-back singles from Brennan Milone and Jacob Walsh with two outs, but Josh Kasevich lined out to end it.

The Ducks drew first blood in the second, as Anthony Hall led off the inning with a homer. Oregon brought a 1-0 lead to the third inning.

Isaac Ayon got the start on the mound, entering the day with a 1.42 ERA at PK Park. He gave up a leadoff single in each of the first two innings, but he worked out of it both times. He was dominant in the third inning, pitching a perfect frame with a pair of strikeouts to hold the one-run lead.

After Ayon retired his seventh straight batter to start the fourth, he gave up a single and a double. A sacrifice fly for USC then tied it up at 1-1.

The Trojans’ Tyler Lozano followed it up with a long two-run homer that gave USC a 3-1 lead. After crossing home plate, the Trojans did their usual “BOOM!” celebration before Lozano turned toward the Ducks’ dugout and said something they didn’t like. 

He was ejected for taunting, which prompted the Oregon players to clap and cheer in celebration. USC’s third base coach had a long conversation with the umpires as fans chanted “Sit down!”

The Ducks went into the bottom of the fourth with energy and momentum resonating from the dugout. Hall reached on an error, and Sam Novitske hit a hard single. Jack Scanlon then smashed a three-run homer to right field, putting Oregon back on top 4-3 in an instant. It was Scanlon’s third homer of the year. Remarkably, all three have been of the three-run variety.

Ayon had a bounceback fifth inning, working around a one-out single to hold the Ducks’ new lead. The scalding hot freshman Walsh doubled in the bottom of the fifth, but Oregon hit into some hard outs as it failed to capitalize.

Leading off the top of the sixth, Ayon gave up his second homer of the day, and USC tied things up again at 4-4. There were no ejections this time.

Two singles and a walk then loaded the bases for the Trojans. Ayon hit the next batter, forcing in a run as USC took a 5-4 lead.

“That’s something I’m sure he would like to have back,” Wasikowski said of Ayon’s crucial hit batsman. “But I thought he competed well, and he pitched probably good enough to win overall.”

Novitske and Scanlon led off the bottom of the sixth with singles. Colby Shade came through with two outs, hitting a massively clutch double to tie it up at 5-5.

Left-hander Rio Britton induced two groundouts to shortstop on a total of three pitches in the seventh. Right-hander Matt Dallas recorded a strikeout for the final out of the inning.

Wasikowski said it was pitching coach Jake Angier’s decision to have Britton face just two batters, and it was a decision Wasikowski supported 100%.

In the eighth, Dallas issued his first walk of the season. USC then bunted for a hit, with Novitske letting it go in the hopes that it would roll foul. It did not. Walsh made a nice catch on another bunt attempt, but Dallas issued his second walk to load the bases.

On yet another bunt by USC, Dallas rushed in and made an impressive glove flip to record the second out at home plate. He hit the next batter, giving the Trojans a 6-5 lead. It was the second go-ahead hit batter issued by Oregon in the game, after Ayon did the same thing in the sixth.

“Matt Dallas was a bit uncharacteristic today,” Wasikowski said. “When he walked a guy or two, that’s not Matt Dallas. He hadn’t done that… He just didn’t execute pitches today like he normally does.”

Novitske led off the bottom of the eighth by hitting a grounder to short. The shortstop’s throw was off line, and Novitske was initially called out before Wasikowski had a discussion with the umpires that prompted them to overrule the call.

Tyler Ganus pinch hit for Scanlon and hit into a fielder’s choice. After Ganus stole second to put the tying run in scoring position, Gavin Grant and Tanner Smith struck out.

Walsh kept the game alive with two outs in the ninth, as the USC shortstop made his third error of the game. He stood on second representing the tying run, but Josh Kasevich grounded out to end the game.

The Ducks (15-7) will look to win the rubber game against the Trojans (14-7) Sunday at noon.