Oregon baseball (23-21, Pac-12 8-12) fell to Arizona (21-23, Pac-12 9-14) 9-8 Saturday night, as Arizona came from behind to tie the game in the ninth inning, and then win it in the 11th off of an errant throw by Ducks pitcher Ryne Nelson.
In extra innings, Oregon loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the tenth, before a called third strike on Taylor Adams ended the threat. The Wildcats would go on to win in the bottom of the 11th.
Already in his fourth inning of relief, Nelson threw the ball into right field on a pickoff attempt, allowing Matthew Dyer to score all the way from first to win the ballgame.
It did not start off nearly as tense for the Ducks as they jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the top of the first. After Sam Novitske singled to open up the game, Tanner Smith tripled him home. Spencer Steer plated Smith with an RBI single to give Oregon a 2-0 lead. Later in the inning, Jakob Goldfarb doubled Spencer Steer home. Taylor Adams capped off the five-run inning by singling both Gabe Matthews and Goldfarb home.
Things changed drastically in the seventh inning. With the Ducks up 5-2, Oregon starter Robert Ahlstrom got a popup for the first out. He then walked the next batter and was pulled from the game. Keaton Chase entered and immediately gave up a two run home run, allowing Arizona to pull within one run. A few batters later after Chase gave up a hit, walk and another two RBI double, Arizona took a 7-5 lead.
Oregon was able to claw their way back into the game, courtesy of Steer and Matthews, who each got on base to begin the inning. Jonny DeLuca tied with a double down the left field line. Evan Williams then plated DeLuca, to take the 8-7 lead.
But in the ninth, Nelson gave up a two-out triple tying the game, and sending the game to extra innings, where the Ducks would eventually fall in 11 innings.
Oregon will take on Arizona Sunday at 12 p.m.