Oregon baseball (27-25, Pac-12 10-16) earned a bounce-back victory Saturday afternoon, as they took game two of a three game series 10-7 against USC (22-27-1, Pac-12 10-14-1).

During Friday night’s game, the Trojans were the ones who jumped out to an early lead in the first inning, scoring three runs. However, on Saturday, it was the Ducks who put up four on the board in the first. But interestingly the Ducks only got a single hit in the inning, a Spencer Steer single which scored one run. Two walks and an error helped propel three more runs to score as the Ducks took an early 4-0 lead.  

In the first two innings alone, both starters were pulled from the game as neither Cullen Kafka for Oregon nor Issac Esquada of USC could find the zone. The two walked a combined four batters and gave up six runs, although only three of them were earned runs.

With the score 7-4 in the seventh inning, redshirt senior Jakob Goldfarb sent a three run blast over the left-center field wall, his third of the year, giving the Ducks a 10-4 lead and some much needed insurance runs.

The Trojans would try and mount a comeback in the eighth, as Oregon’s fourth pitcher of the day, Keaton Chase, struggled with his command. With runners already on second and third, a wild pitch allowed a run to score, making the game 10-5. Chase Bushor then hit a double down the left field line, scoring two more, and head coach George Horton brought in Ryne Nelson to lock down the win.

Nelson would pitch an inning and two thirds, striking out two, en route to earning his fourth save of the season. Game three of the series will be Sunday at 12 p.m.