Grayson Grinsell silenced an offense that had scored 13 runs the day before.

His start was incredible and the Ducks’ bullpen held strong as Oregon (12-6, 3-2 Pac-12) handed California (12-4, 4-1 Pac-12) its first conference loss of the season with a 5-1 win. 

The Oregon offense still needs to get going, but outings like Grinsell’s Saturday afternoon can temporarily delay the concern. 

Grinsell got the start on Saturday. His stats in Pac-12 play weren’t great entering the day — he had allowed three runs on three hits in 3.1 innings — but he got off to a hot start on Saturday as he retired the first eight batters he faced. 

His pitch location waived in the third. After loading the bases with free passes, Grinsell hit Caleb Lomavita with a pitch to bring home the game’s first run. A string of walks and hit batsmen — all with two outs — gave the Golden Bears the early advantage. They didn’t record their first hit until the fifth inning, but they led 1-0 in the third.

“The only time they really got to him was when they didn’t really get to him,” Oregon head coach Mark Wasikowski said. “It wasn’t about them, it was about him. The only time he really struggled was when he struggled versus them getting to him. He dominated.”

“That inning, I wasn’t as locked in as I should have been,” Grinsell said. “ I kinda lost focus there and then gained it back just going pitch-to-pitch and committing to [each] pitch.”

Oregon responded with five runs across the next two frames. 

Cal’s starter, Trey Newmann, had a similar third inning to Grinsell. He walked two and hit a batter as Oregon got a run back to tie the game. Anson Aroz drew the crucial walk after a lengthy at-bat to plate Carter Garate — who singled in both of his first two at-bats. 

A pair of two-run homers in the fourth gave the Ducks’ offense the spark it had been looking for. Both Ryan Cooney and Justin Cassella sent their fifth homers of the season out to open up a 5-1 Oregon lead. 

“I’d like to put the ball in play a little bit more, personally,” Cooney said. “I’m glad that I was able to get another one today, but just hard line drives and hitting the ball hard is really what I strive for.”

Newman’s day ended shortly after allowing the homer to Cooney. Across his 3.1 innings, he surrendered four runs on three hits while fanning three and allowing four free passes. He earned his second loss of the season as Oregon earned its first home win of conference play. 

Grinsell, on the other hand, was phenomenal. He threw six complete innings to earn his second win of the season and first of 2024 as a starter. Across his career-high 6.0 frames, he allowed just one run on one hit while collecting nine strikeouts — just one shy of another personal record. 

He credited the trust he has in Bennett Thompson behind the dish, his defense behind him and his coaching staff selecting his pitches. 

He survived a gut-check scenario in the fifth as he got Caleb Lomavita — who homered twice on Friday — to fly out to the warning track to end a two-on threat. His sixth inning was far less dramatic as he fanned all three batters he faced in his final frame. 

Oregon’s offense had another unimpressive game. The Ducks tallied just five hits — only one of which came after the fourth inning — and struck-out 12 times in the win. In three games this week at PK Park, Oregon has scored a combined 11 runs. 

It was still a better day than Cal’s Rodney Green Jr. had. In eight at-bats through the series’ first two games, he’s 0-8 with eight strikeouts. Unsurprisingly, he leads the Golden Bears with 31 on the season. 

Bradley Mullan and Logan Mercado teamed up to close out the win for the Ducks. Mullan threw scoreless seventh and eighth innings while fanning three and Mercado threw an uneventful ninth to end the game.

“I thought those guys pitched old today and that was the difference,” Wasikowski said. 

Friday’s 13-1 loss emphasized the need for a spark for both Oregon’s pitching staff and offense. Grinsell more than did his part as Cooney and Cassella provided all the cushion the Ducks needed to even the series.

Oregon’s rubber game against the Golden Bears is slated for 12.05 p.m. on Sunday afternoon at PK Park. Kevin Seitter (1-0, 6.32 ERA) will take the mound for the Ducks as Tom Mayer (0-1, 3.63 ERA) is expected to start for Cal.