Michigan designated hitter Cooper Mullens is familiar with the nearly 2,000-mile flight he sent Oregon home on after crushing a two-run walkoff single to seal the Ducks’ first series loss of 2026.

Mullens, the son of Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens, was an All-State selection at Marist High School before committing to Michigan. With La Grande native Devin Bell on the mound, Mullens jumped on a first-pitch sinker to win the Oregonian versus Oregonian battle.

Oregon (24-8, 8-4 Big Ten) missed several opportunities to extend the lead it took in the fourth inning, while Michigan (16-14, 5-7 Big Ten) found new life after a diving catch by center fielder Evan Haeger stranded a runner in scoring position in the ninth inning, and broke out of a multi-inning slump to secure a 4-3 win. The series loss increases the pressure on Oregon to take care of business against middling conference opponents before passing several late-season tests in order to host a regional.

Oregon’s bats got to work early for the first time in the series, with Ryan Cooney doubling through the gap in right-center field and Jax Gimenez drawing a four-pitch walk to prompt a mound visit. Dominic Hellman moved the runners over with a groundout, and the lineup’s early productivity was rewarded when Angel Laya’s two-out groundball to the shortstop resulted in a throwing error and a 2-0 Ducks lead.

After navigating the first two innings well, Oregon starter Cal Scolari hit the leadoff batter before throwing a wild pitch with the runner going, which led to a bad throw by catcher Burke-Lee Mabeus that put a runner on third. Michigan second baseman Colby Turner cashed in with an infield single to cut the lead to 2-1.

Haeger singled to extend the Wolverines’ threat, and a moment of optimism when Scolari recorded a strikeout following pitching coach Matt Florer’s mound visit ended with a two-out walk to load the bases. Sophomore Brayden Jefferis tied the game 2-2 with another infield single, but Scolari preserved the tie with an inning-ending strikeout.

Gabe Miranda launched an immediate response for the Ducks, leading off the fourth inning by working a full count before turning on an offspeed pitch in the middle of the zone for a double. Michigan strung together two outs, but Gimenez walked to extend the inning, and Hellman came through with a ground ball single to put Oregon ahead 3-2.

Scolari sent the Wolverines down in order in the bottom of the inning, but the long third inning inflated his pitch count to 86, ending his day early with five hits and two runs allowed while recording three strikeouts.

The game settled into a pitchers’ duel, with Michael Mechna retiring all six batters he faced out of the Oregon bullpen and Michigan starter David Lally Jr. gritting out a six-inning, 103-pitch start, striking out five Ducks to hold Oregon to one earned run on nine baserunners.

Oregon threatened to extend the lead in the seventh inning when Michigan’s first reliever, Brandon Mann, walked Hellman and allowed Drew Smith to single into shallow center, after which a review confirmed that the 6-foot-6, 281-pound Hellman had gone first-to-third. Smith stole second to put runners on second and third with no outs, but Angel Laya, Maddox Molony and Mabeus failed to take advantage.

Following a clean inning from Luke Morgan, the Ducks put together another bid to extend the lead. Gabe Miranda crushed his second leadoff double of the day to the opposite field, but was caught advancing to third on a bunt. Ryan Cooney walked to put runners on first and second, and Oregon executed a double steal with two outs, but Josh Schleichardt lost a seven-pitch battle to end the threat.

After Michigan stranded Drew Smith on second base, aided by a diving catch by center fielder Evan Haeger on a Mabeus line drive that was falling fast, Devin Bell entered in search of his eighth save of the season.

With one out, Jeffris singled to center field to provide Michigan’s first base runner since the third inning. Bell responded with a strikeout, but third baseman Jack Laffite dribbled a ground ball through the right side of the inning to move the tying run into scoring position. Bell loaded the bases by hitting the next batter, and Mullens’ immediate heroics secured the series for the Wolverines.

Oregon will look for revenge on the University of Portland in Portland on Wednesday, before returning home for a series against Nebraska, starting with a 5:05 p.m. first pitch on Friday.