The Ducks’ flight has come to a halt.

Oregon baseball saw its season end Saturday in an 8-5 loss to No. 12 Louisville. The Ducks put up a fight against the No. 12 team in the country, but it wasn’t enough as they fell at Patterson Stadium.

The Ducks’ offense struck first, getting a clutch RBI single from Drew Cowley after Colby Shade doubled. Shade was shaken up on the slide at home, but he quickly got back up and jumped around in celebration with his teammates.

Louisville greeted Jace Stoffal with a leadoff double to begin his afternoon on the mound. The Cardinals scratched a run across on a run-scoring groundout, tying the game at one apiece. Stoffal utilized his sharp changeup to prevent things from blowing up on him.

Stoffal settled in, working through a quick second inning on three groundouts to the left side.

The Ducks nearly scored in the third inning, as Gavin Grant and Tanner Smith led off with back-to-back singles. With the runners on second and third and one out, Grant was caught in a rundown trying to score on a soft chopper. Cowley lined out to end the inning as Oregon blew a prime scoring opportunity.

Stoffal’s streak of seven in a row retired came to an end with a two-out double in the third, but he got out of it with a fly out to center. He continued to keep Louisville batters off balance after a slightly shaky beginning to his outing.

After not scoring in the third, the Ducks went down in the fourth on just seven pitches. The Redhawks responded with a two-run homer from Cameron Masterman in the bottom of the fourth, as Stoffal finally gave in. Louisville went up 3-1 for its first lead of the day.

Oregon scratched one out in the fourth on a bizarre set of circumstances. After Sam Novitske walked, Grant hit a deep fly ball to center that was caught on a miraculous diving play by center fielder Levi Usher. The play was rescinded, though, when the umpires ruled that the pitcher had balked. Louisville coach Dan McDonnell was irate, storming out of the dugout and screaming in the umpires’ faces.

Grant ended up walking, putting two on for the Ducks. A fielder’s choice brought a run across, making it a 3-2 game. Shade walked to put two runners on again, but Milone and Cowley couldn’t cash in despite a pair of competitive at-bats.

Andrew Mosiello threw a perfect fifth inning after Stoffal pitched the first four. Mosiello walked the first two batters he faced in the sixth, prompting Oregon to bring in lefty closer Kolby Somers for his first appearance of the regional.

Somers balked home a run, as a balk affected Oregon in the other direction. Somers followed by giving up back-to-back hits, extending the Ducks’ deficit to 6-2 with a three-run rally.

The Cardinals added another off Somers with a solo homer in the seventh, making it a five-run game.

With the life seemingly sucked out of the Ducks, they began to claw their way back in the eighth. Singles from Shade, Milone and Kasevich brought in a run, and a two-run double by Anthony Hall made it 7-5. With the tying run at the plate, Josiah Cromwick and Novitske made outs to leave it there.

Rio Britton entered in the bottom of the eighth, looking to keep it a two-run game. After walking the first batter and going 2-0 on the next one, Mark Wasikowski wasted no time in taking him out. With the season hanging on by a thread, it was all hands on deck.

The Ducks elected to turn to RJ Gordon, who pitched Friday. Gordon threw two balls to complete Britton’s walk. After a sacrifice bunt went to review, Gordon issued yet another walk to load the bases.

Gordon recorded a huge strikeout for the second out, but an RBI infield single extended Louisville’s lead to 8-5. Gordon ended the inning with a fly out as Louisville ultimately scratched just one run across.

The Ducks, who have had a penchant for comebacks all year, went down in order in the ninth inning. Oregon was eliminated and its season came to an end with the 8-5 loss. It was the second straight year the team was knocked out in a regional.

The Ducks will likely look for pitching help in recruiting over the offseason. The team will be back in action next February to do it all over again.