With Stanford sitting just 2.5 games behind Oregon for the Pac-12 lead and only a week left of games before regionals, Sunday’s rubber match at PK Park held a lot of significance. 

Unfortunately for the Ducks, multiple wasted opportunities and a 12th inning Stanford rally gave them their first home Pac-12 series loss of the season.

“I’m proud of my ball club, but I’m disappointed with today’s results,” head coach Mark Wasikowski said. “Ultimately, we are still learning on how to win as a program.”

The Ducks got things going offensively early and often. With one out in the first, Kenyon Yovan singled through the vacated right side of the field. A pair of walks loaded the bases for Josh Kasevich, who scored Yovan on a groundout.

After flashing the leather in the second inning, the Oregon offense was back at it in the second. Stanford pitcher Tommy O’Rourke walked the bases loaded which prompted a pitching change for Austin Weiermiller, Stanford’s third pitcher of the game already.

On Weiermiller’s first pitch, Aaron Zavala, who was just named as a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy, lined a soft single over the shortstop’s head to grow the early advantage to 3-0.

Josh Kasevich launched a solo home run in the third inning to tack on another run. 

In the fourth, with the score now 5-0 Ducks, the Cardinal bats finally woke up. After a crisp first three innings from Oregon starter Brett Walker, a single and double set up second and third for Stanford. Christian Robinson clutched up next with a single to get the Cardinal on the board. Later in the inning, a Drew Bowser sacrifice fly cut the lead to 5-2. 

A pair of one-out Cardinal singles in the sixth forced first and third, and the end to Walker’s day. Walker finished the day nicely with 5 1/3 innings pitched, a pair of strikeouts and just two runs surrendered to the dangerous Cardinal offense.

Caleb Sloan took over on the mound but ran into immediate trouble. His first batter, Nick Brueser, doubled to the left field corner to score two runs and cut the lead down to one. Later in the inning with Brueser at third, Adam Crampton lined a single to left to tie the game at five. 

After using four pitchers in the first three innings, Stanford needed one of their arms to step up, and Jacob Palisch did exactly that. The lefty used a hefty dose of offspeed pitches to keep the Oregon offense off-balanced for just under four innings in relief.

After a Gabe Matthews single in the seventh, Stanford opted for Joey Dixon out of the bullpen. Kasevich greeted him with a single up the middle to put runners on the corners with one out, but Dixon got out of the jam by inducing an inning-ending double play – a big blown opportunity for the Ducks. 

“I’m disappointed that our offense wasn’t able to sustain, which is something we’ve done all year,” Wasikowski said. “I thought their pitchers were nothing we’d hadn’t seen this year.”

In the bottom of the ninth, with the score still tied at five, Oregon loaded the bases with just one out. All that separated them from a series win was a ball hit to the outfield, which Tristan Hanoian did, but the ball was hit too shallow to score. The next batter, Sam Novitske, grounded out to force extra innings. 

Dixon and Oregon lefty Kolby Somers traded abrupt scoreless frames until the 12th inning. With a runner at first, a pair of wild pitches from Somers gifted Stanford a runner at third with just one out. Kody Huff came up big with a single to left to give Stanford the lead. The next batter, Christian Robinson, put the nail in the coffin with a two-run bomb to left field. 

A scoreless bottom half clinched the 8-5 Cardinal victory. With the loss, Oregon falls to 35-13 while Arizona and Stanford are still breathing down their necks for the Pac-12 title. 

“We still have plenty to play for as a program,” Wasikowski said. “I haven’t thought about all the scenarios within our league, but we still have an opportunity to win the World Series.”

The Ducks will be back in action with their last regular season series of the year against Cal in Berkeley, CA. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. on Thursday evening.