After going back and forth for eight innings, the Ducks needed a hero in the ninth. Tanner Bradley answered the call with three strikeouts in the final inning to extinguish the Nittany Lions.

No. 19 Oregon baseball (30-11, 13-6 Big Ten) took down Penn State (12-27, 5-14 Big Ten) 5-4 today on strong performances from pitchers Will Sanford (6.0 IP, 8 K, 2 ER, 4 H, 2 BB) and Bradley (2.0 IP, 5 K, 0 ER, 0 H). Burke-Lee Mabeus (1-3, 2 RBI, HR) and Brayden Jaksa (3-4, 2B, BB, R) dominated in the batter’s box to start the series strong.

“I feel like we came in here confident coming out of Corvallis and just ready to compete,” Jaksa said. “We’ve been sticking to our approach when it comes to hitting and pitchers have been really trying to dial it in.”

Sanford started the game off attacking the zone, with only one batter reaching on a hit by pitch before the side was retired. He has been one of the best pitchers in the Big Ten this season, especially when it comes to limiting hits: Sanford came into this matchup ranking third in the conference in hits allowed, with only 33 hits through 50 innings pitched.

“To win on a Friday night, you need to have some performances that step up,” head coach Mark Wasikowski said postgame. “I thought that Will Sanford and Tanner Bradley stepped up and had really good nights to help us win.”

The Nittany Lions drew first blood in the top of the third after shortstop Preston Yaucher shot a line drive to the gap for a leadoff double before a chain of errors allowed him to score on a groundout from left fielder Jayden Davis. Jack Brooks made a dazzling over the shoulder catch in center field alongside back-to-back strikeouts from Sanford, preventing any further damage heading into the bottom half of the third.

In the bottom of the fourth, Angel Laya got on with a leadoff single before Mabeus put the Ducks on the board with a two-out, two-run homer to left-center field to take a 2-1 lead heading into the fifth.

Penn State rallied in the fifth with Davis hitting a two-out single before reaching third on a single from designated hitter Michael Anderson. Davis tied the game on a wild pitch before a groundout ended the inning.

After drawing a walk in the bottom of the fifth, Jax Gimenez stole second before a single from Jaksa advanced him to third to set up a sacrifice fly from Ryan Cooney to retake the lead heading into the sixth.

After failing to score a run with bases loaded in the sixth, Wasikowski made the call to the bullpen to bring out Luke Morgan to start the seventh. After hitting Anderson with a pitch, Morgan let up a two-run home run against second baseman Bryce Molinaro to make it 4-3.

The Ducks quickly bounced back in the bottom of the seventh with a leadoff double from Jaksa before a walk and wild pitch put runners at the corners with two outs. After getting behind in the count, Molony slashed a single up the right side of the infield for an RBI single to tie things up at four heading into the eighth.

Bradley got the nod from the bullpen in the eighth and got off to a hot start with a three-pitch strikeout before fielding a comebacker and retiring the side with a strikeout.

Oregon took that momentum into the bottom half of the inning with Brooks hitting an infield single to start the inning before stealing second to put himself in scoring position with one out. Jaksa drew a walk shortly after the steal before he and Brooks stole third and second. With runners at third and second, Penn State intentionally walked Cooney, bringing up Drew Smith.

Smith reached first on a fielder’s choice to third, with Brooks scoring the go-ahead run after catcher Joey DeMucci’s foot slipped off home plate, allowing Brooks to score by the skin of his teeth.

With a one-run lead heading into the bottom of the ninth, Bradley faced the bottom of the lineup and struck out the side in order to close out the nailbiter.

“He’s been really good,” Wasikowski said. “Credit to him, his work ethic, his parents, you know, for raising him the right way. He’s tough as nails.”

The Ducks will play game two of their three-game series against Penn State tomorrow at 4:05 p.m. at PK Park, following the end of the Oregon spring football game.