The early bird gets the worm, and today the Ducks grabbed plenty in a 9-4 win over Washington to start a postseason journey which began at 10 a.m. local time after a late-night weather delay on Friday.

No. 14 Oregon baseball (38-15, 20-10 Big Ten) defeated Washington (25-31, 12-18 Big Ten) today, 9-4 in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament. A strong outing from Cal Scolari (5.0 IP, 10 K, 3 H, 0 ER) gave the offense the momentum it needed to launch a season-high five home runs in the blowout win to send the Ducks into the semifinals. Oregon led Washington 9-0 into the top of the ninth inning before a Ty Cowan grand slam cut the deficit. The Ducks face No. 20 Nebraska at 4 p.m. PT.

Scolari got off to a hot start after striking out the side in 13 pitches. He attacked the strike zone early in all three at-bats and never got into a three-ball count. 

After a scoreless top half of the second inning from the Huskies, Oregon woke up the bats when Naulivou Lauaki Jr. sent a ball up the middle of the infield for a leadoff single before advancing to second with Jack Brooks getting hit in the foot on a runaway off-speed pitch. Gabe Miranda loaded the bases shortly after with a single to right field to set up a full count walk and put the first run on the board. Washington starter Noah Kenney continued to dig himself into a hole after Laya drew his second walk of the game to score the second run of the inning.

The defense was on full display in the top of the third inning, with Cooney and Maddox Molony turning a double play following a leadoff walk before Scolari picked up his fifth strikeout of the game to close out the strong top half of the inning. 

Lauaki demolished a fastball to deep right field for a solo home run in the bottom of the third. The home run marked his 11th of the season, tied for third on the team with Molony, despite only playing in 33 games this season.  

After allowing a leadoff single from right fielder Braeden Terry to start the fourth, Scolari struck out the side for the second time on Saturday.

In the fifth, the Huskies put themselves in scoring position after an error and a single put runners at first and second before a groundout to first advanced both runners. With two outs, left fielder Jackson Hotchkiss drew a walk to load the bases, but Scolari struck out Terry to close out the inning and record a season-high 10th strikeout.

Smith and Brayden Jaksa hit back-to-back solo home runs in the bottom of the fifth to extend the lead and force Washington to make the call to the bullpen for closer Tommy Brandenburg, who struck out two before a groundout stopped the bleeding for the Huskies.

To start the sixth, Oregon head coach Mark Wasikowski made the call to the bullpen for the first time for Toby Twist. Twist got off to a poor start after letting on two via a walk and a base hit with only one out, but managed to get out of the jam with back-to-back strikeouts.

Jack Brooks hit the Ducks’ second leadoff home run of the game with a deep shot to left to start the bottom of the sixth before Miranda sent a ball over the right field wall for the second back-to-back home run in back-to-back innings to take a 7-0 lead heading into the seventh inning.

In the bottom of the eighth, Cooper McBride became the fifth Husky pitcher of the game after Carson Boesel hit Molony with the first pitch of the inning. Brooks slashed a double down the right field line to put runners on second and third. An intentional walk put Cooney on first and loaded the bases to set up an RBI single from Laya.

Jaxson Gore came in for McBride with bases loaded before a sacrifice fly from Smith scored Cooney to make it 9-0 heading into the top of the ninth.

Twist struck out one to start the ninth, but following a single from third baseman Blake Wilson and walking first baseman Casen Taggert, he was pulled in favor of Omaha native Michael Meckna. His first pitch was sent up the left side of the infield for a single that loaded the bases with one out. 

Cowan sent a ball deep to right field for a grand slam to cut the lead to five before a strikeout and fly out ended the game 9-4.

The Ducks will take on Nebraska in the semifinals at 4 p.m. PT.