Your #21 Oregon Ducks flew north to take on the University of Portland Pilots on Wednesday, looking to bounce back after a tough 1-3 week. The game got off to a pretty good start for the Ducks, with Brayden Jaksa smashing a solo home run to left field in the top of the first, and Burke-Lee Mabeus doubling home another run in the 2nd to take a quick 2-0 lead, and already scoring more runs than the last time these teams met. But the Pilots would respond, as they seemingly always do, plating two runs on a bases
loaded single with two outs in the 2nd.
But Oregon would strike back immediately, with Drew Smith mashing a 3-run dinger to left field, giving the Ducks the lead back at 5-2. But that’s when things would begin to unravel for Oregon. After getting two quick outs in the bottom of the 3rd, the Ducks would give up three straight hits, scoring 4 runs for the Pilots, and Portland would snatch the lead right back at 6-5. They would then score another run in the bottom of the 6th, after a few unexpectedly quiet innings from both sides, to take a 7-5 lead into the 7th inning.
To lead off the 7th, Naulivou Lauaki Jr. would smack a solo home run to left, cutting the lead back to one run. The Ducks would then load the bases with one out, before plating two more runs off the bats of Ryan Cooney and Drew Smith, to give Oregon the lead once more at 8-7. But, as they always do, the Pilots would retaliate. This time, though, by devastatingly crushing two separate 3-run home runs in the bottom of the 7th inning, giving Portland a commanding 13-8 lead. Oregon would get an RBI single from Jack Brooks in the top of the 8th, but that would be all she wrote for this one, with the Ducks losing 13-9.
Man, it just really seems like Portland has the Ducks number, doesn’t it? That’s now 4 straight losses to the Pilots. The pitching staff had a hard time finishing innings, which was unfortunate. But, on the positive side of things, the offense finally started to look like itself again. And, since this wasn’t a conference game, the loss doesn’t hurt us as bad. Hopefully they can keep the bats hot going into the weekend series against #19 Nebraska.
As always, ‘Sco Ducks.
