Oregon outhit Texas Tech 16-13, but a costly 2nd inning proved detrimental to the Ducks’ third game of the season.
Oregon baseball fell for the first time this season on Sunday as the No. 21 Texas Tech Red Raiders (2-1) conquered the Ducks (2-1) to close out the Shriners Children’s College Showdown.
Turner Spoljaric got the nod for Oregon as he made his 2024 debut. The sophomore was 7-0 last season in 55 innings with an ERA of 6.55.
The Red Raiders got to him early.
After a leadoff-walk, single and a wild-pitch gave Texas Tech a two-on, no-out situation, Damian Bravo doubled to score two and sparked an inning in which the Red Raiders would score six runs on five hits. Spoljaric was chased after 1.1 innings in which he was responsible for five earned-runs on four hits and two walks. He threw just 41 pitches in his first start of the season.
Texas Tech quickly became the first team to find success against Oregon’s bullpen in 2024. Immediately after Toby Twist replaced Spoljaric, Austin Green hit a three-run home run to balloon Tech’s lead to 6-0 in the 2nd inning.
Oregon would have to rally again. But unlike Saturday’s rally-win over Baylor, there would be no such fight from the Ducks on Sunday.
For Texas Tech, starter Jack Washburn was solid. The redshirt-junior — who started his collegiate career at Oregon State — was 5-2 in 40.1 innings (nine starts) with a 3.35 ERA in 2023 for the Red Raiders. On Sunday, he struck out four of the first five batters he faced while not allowing a hit until the third inning — Oregon’s nine-hole hitter, Carter Garate.
The Ducks finally got to him in the 5th. A pair of leadoff-hits — including Garate’s second of the day — set Oregon up with the same situation Texas Tech had capitalized on in the 2nd. A barrage of singles from Drew Smith, Jeffery Heard and Bennett Thompson saw the Ducks soar back to a just 6-4 deficit. Oregon chased both Washburn and Derek Bridges — who came in to replace him — in the resurgence.
Washburn finished allowing three runs on six hits while striking out six in 4.0 innings of work.
Tech would tack on an insurance-run in its half of the 5th, causing a momentary gap-widening before more Oregon timely hitting temporarily brought the Ducks back again.
Smith drove in two more in the 6th. A fielding error on Bravo allowed Garate to score again along with Bryce Boettcher, who was back in the lineup after not starting on Saturday. The Ducks pulled within one as the game — and tournament — drew closer to an end.
A Tracer Lopez home run in the 6th would stifle Oregon’s momentum and spark a two-run inning for the Red Raiders that saw them pull away for good, 6-9.
Entering Sunday, the Ducks’ relievers had thrown 9.2 innings of shutout ball, but the Red Raiders attacked Oregon’s bullpen for six runs on nine hits in the contest.
Tech’s bullpen closed out the Red Raiders second win of the young season, while hanging Oregon its first. 11-7 was the final score after Garate added another hit to drive in Thompson and the Red Raiders tallied a run in both the 7th and 8th.
Garate finished 4-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. His season average is up to .545 and an upgrade in the batting order may not be far away. Smith also had a four-hit day while Thompson tallied three in the loss.
After striking out 23 times throughout their first two games, the Ducks were K’d up another 16 times on Sunday. Oregon batters struck-out four times the first time through the lineup, and Smith, Jacob Walsh, Justin Cassella, Dominic Hellman, Heard and Ryan Cooney recorded multiple strikeouts to his statline. Walsh and Cooney each had three. Pitch selection could end up being a catalyst for Oregon, and will be a statistic to watch as non-conference play continues.
The Ducks, who have broken the program-record for home runs in three-straight seasons, leave Texas without a homer across their three games.
The Red Raiders demonstrated why they have a lot of excitement and chatter surrounding their program after a 41-23 (12-12 Big 12) 2023 campaign that saw Texas Tech reach the Regional Round of last season’s NCAA Tournament. The Red Raiders collected two wins in the Shriners Children’s College Showdown and look to be a force in 2024.
Oregon will return to Eugene for its home-opening weekend as Lafayette visits for a four-game series at PK Park. Game one’s first-pitch is slated for 4 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 23.
