Jeffery Heard is a dangerous man.
He’s proved it several times in Oregon’s young season, but in no bigger moment than his go-ahead home run in the ninth inning of Saturday’s 6-4 win over Arizona State.
In a game in which the Ducks (10-4, 1-1 Pac-12) didn’t have offense, Heard came alive with the tying run on and one out in the ninth. His two-run shot — his third of the season — drove in Jack Brooks and provided Oregon its final lead of the night.
After a walk-off win the night before, it was Arizona State’s (7-7, 1-1 Pac-12) turn to blow a late lead as Cole Carlon — Friday’s winning pitcher — blew the save, allowed the home run (and an additional run in the ninth) and was served with Saturday’s loss.
Bryce Boettcher opened the scoring with an RBI single in the second. ASU quickly responded to score the game’s next four runs. Ryan Campos homered as a part of a two-run bottom of the second for the Sun Devils. A pair of homers in the third off Oregon’s Toby Twist — one from Nick McLain and another from Jacob Tobias — opened up a 4-1 lead for ASU after three.
Twist got the start on Saturday and had an incredibly average performance. Across his 4.0 innings, he surrendered four runs (three earned) on six hits while fanning five and walking two. He allowed too many long balls, but the freshman showed glimpses of the starter Oregon hopes he can be.
The Ducks got one back in the fifth. A laser home run from Anson Aroz cut the ASU lead to 4-2. Aroz has been one of the pleasant surprises of the season as he’s worked his way from role-player to a somewhat-regular starter. Aroz’s shot was his first of the season and his ninth hit of the year, and it ended Adam Behren’s night on the mound.
The Ducks were able to get two more baserunners in the inning and a Jacob Walsh single drove Oregon’s third run in. Perhaps the two games Walsh spent out of the lineup as Wasikowski hoped to find a spark did the trick. Walsh now has three hits in his two games against ASU.
Prior to the Aroz blast, Behren’s was good for 4.1 innings in which he allowed three runs on four hits while striking-out just one. Oregon cut its number of strikeouts from 13 on Friday to seven on Saturday.
Ben Jacobs came in for ASU and was brilliant. During his 2.2 innings, he fanned five consecutive batters and allowed just one hit.
Oregon’s bullpen, too, was brilliant. The Ducks’ two relievers — Brock Moore and Bradley Mullan — combined for five scoreless innings in which they struck out four and allowed only two hits. On a night where the offense wasn’t contributing much, a lockdown night from the Ducks’ bullpen was key to earning their first conference win of the season. Mullan got the win, his third of the season.
Heard propelled Oregon to a key win and changed the tone of Saturday’s recap immensely. The Ducks now have an opportunity to go for the series win on Sunday at 12:05 p.m. in the series finale.
