Bad at-bats, frustrating strike three calls and hard-hit balls erased by defensive gems were the story of the day as No. 23 Oregon baseball (11-3, 1-1 Big Ten) fell to Purdue (9-4, 1-1 Big Ten) 2-1 at Alexander Field in West Lafayette, Indiana.

Oregon certainly had its chances. Led by Gabe Miranda (2-4 HR) and Jax Gimenez (2-4), the Ducks posted eight hits and were gifted five free bases via three walks and two errors. It was a grind of a game, with Purdue scoring both of its runs on a two-RBI single from Aaron Manias, while Oregon’s lone run came on an eighth-inning blast from Miranda.

Still, thanks to a remarkable effort by Collin Clarke, the Ducks hung around. The right-hander struck out nine over eight innings of work, saving the rest of head coach Mark Wasikowski’s bullpen for tomorrow’s rubber game matchup with the Boilermakers.

Clarke allowed six hits and threw a season-high 109 pitches. He got stronger as his outing went on, retiring the last eight batters he faced.

Purdue, however, was better. The Boilermakers used five different pitchers to get the win, with starter Zach Erdman getting the bulk of the innings with five. Brandon Rogers was the only Purdue player with multiple hits, but Manias’ two-run single in the third proved to be enough.

The only silver linings that came from Saturday’s disappointing loss came from Clarke’s strong outing, which lowered his season ERA to 2.55 and, more importantly, allows Wasikowski to utilize his entire bullpen in tomorrow’s game, and from Miranda’s blast. The first baseman clubbed a 2-2 fastball out to right field to get Oregon on the board, a welcome sign for Miranda, who has had an up-and-down start to his time in Eugene.

Still, 11 runners left on base will be the telling stat for Wasikowski’s group as they look to rebound. Oregon had runners on base in eight of nine innings, but failed to capitalize outside of Miranda’s solo shot.

Going forward, Clarke’s outing is the biggest development for Oregon, with the junior tossing a career-high eight innings and becoming the first Ducks’ pitcher to be charged with a loss in a complete game since Grayson Grinsell on May 2, 2025, at Michigan State.

First pitch is scheduled for  9:02 a.m. PT in tomorrow’s rubber match.