After a 3-0 lead disappeared, the Ducks responded with two runs in the seventh inning to earn a 5-3 win over USC.
No. 10 Oregon (14-2, 3-0, Big Ten) never trailed in its series sweep of the Trojans (9-6, 0-3 Big Ten) as the Ducks won their 11th-straight contest on Sunday.
Just as they’d done in the first two games, the Ducks struck first. Ryan Cooney (1-3, two RBIs) ripped an RBI single in the second and another run came to cross on a fluky play that featured USC’s fifth error of the series.
USC starter Michael Ebner got the hook after Jacob Walsh doubled in the third. He went only 2.1 innings in his outing, allowing two runs on three hits while fanning five on his 54 pitches. An early pitching change turned Sunday’s contest into a bullpen game for the Trojans.
Freshman Will Sanford’s outing started much better. He only allowed one baserunner (a double from Adrian Lopez) his first time through the Trojans’ lineup while fanning five. He worked through a lot of deep counts, however, and while the Trojans had a zero on the board after three, Sanford’s pitch count sat at 58 pitches.
Cooney added to the lead and his impressive series with a sacrifice fly in the fourth. Throughout the young season, Cooney has been very good at recording team at-bats. He’s recorded a pair sacrifice bunts and three sac flies on the season.
Sanford worked a pair of quick innings in the fourth and fifth, only needing 12 and 13 pitches respectively to somewhat level out his pitch count. But the Trojans finally got to him in the sixth.
Brayden Dowd hit his third homer of the season with a man on to bring the Trojans within a run. After walking the next batter, Sanford’s day ended. His five spectacular scoreless frames were tainted by an ugly start to the sixth.
Michael Meckna came in to relieve Sanford — who finished with 5.0 innings, three runs on two hits, six strikeouts and three walks — and try to protect Oregon’s one-run lead. That advantage wouldn’t make it out of the inning. Jack Basseer singled to tie the game and tagged Sanford with a third earned run.
The Ducks — who entered Sunday’s game without a run after the fifth inning all series — now needed to respond to keep their hopes of a sweep alive, and they got one. They immediately retook the lead on Mason Neville’s team-leading ninth homer of the season. His clutch, two-strike mash put Oregon back in the driver’s seat.
Walsh (2-5) also came around to score on an RBI single off the bat of Maddox Molony (1-3) as the Ducks’ bats strung together a clutch two-run frame.
From there, the Oregon pen held USC scoreless for the remainder of the contest. Dowd got up again in the ninth, representing the tying run, but Ryan Featherston struck him out to end the game and earn the save.
In all, Oregon’s bullpen combined for four innings of shutout ball, allowing just one hit and three walks in the 17 batters it faced. The Ducks’ relievers only allowed two runs all series. They were absolutely dominant.
Oregon returns to PK for a two-game, midweek series against the Grand Canyon University Antelopes. First pitch on Tuesday is slated for 4:05 p.m.
