There’s using a player in a different role than they had been accustomed to, and then there is whatever Mark Wasikowski did with Miles Gosztola Tuesday evening in Oregon baseball’s 6-0 win over UC San Diego (9-12).

Used primarily in a relief or short-inning start role in outings prior, Gosztola almost doubled his total season innings pitched mark, tossing seven innings of one-hit ball in the Ducks’ (19-4) wire-to-wire win. He faced just two batters over the minimum, struck out eight and located all night long. 61 of his 91 pitches went for strikes. His previous season-high in pitches thrown was just 55.

Underpinning his breakout outing was a solid offensive outing from the Ducks, who, with timely hitting and some late long-balls, did more than enough to earn the win on a cool night in La Jolla, California.

Jack Brooks blasted a three-run homer in the fifth inning to break the ice for both teams after Evan Seneres blanked the Ducks early. Solo homers from Maddox Molony and Jax Gimenez, parlayed with an RBI double from Brooks, were more than enough on a night that Oregon’s pitchers were on another level.

Gosztola’s dominance was perhaps the most important development on a night full of them. Midweek matchups against quality opponents had spelled trouble for Oregon due to prioritizing weekend starters in the portal and the absence of Ian Umlandt.

In stepped a 6’3 tourniquet in Gosztola, who dominated a Tritons team that is perennially solid and holds a win over UCLA, the No. 1 team in the country.

Whether the Ducks have had Gosztola pitching in extended bullpen sessions after his outings, or in extended scrimmage innings, is not yet known. Regardless, in his last two outings against Purdue and Xavier, he had combined to throw just 0.1 innings.

Gosztola stepped in when Oregon certainly needed a solid start to a midweek slate against some of the best teams on the West Coast. He also saved Oregon’s high-leverage arms, all of which will be available for tomorrow’s contest. In the big picture for the Ducks, wins like Tuesday’s will go a long way in the team’s RPI rankings, which influence which teams get postseason berths and can host tournaments.

Oregon will play the final game of its series against UC San Diego on Wednesday at 3 p.m.