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The Diamond Ducks went into the second game of their respective series with mixed results. Softball batted anemically and lost to Utah 2-8, while baseball nabbed the lead in the middle innings and held off the Trojans for the 7-5 win.
Softball -
Stevie Hansen took the circle for Oregon’s second game against the Utah Utes. Hansen pitched 1-2-3 in the first two innings. Meanwhile, the Ducks were going to rue the fact that they stranded all the bases in the bottom of the first inning. They would regret on this day that they were not able to get those runner across the plate.
Utah scored first in the third inning, off of this two-run home run:
T3 | What a clout by @karliedavison!!
— Utah Softball (@Utah_Softball) May 6, 2023
Utah takes a 2-0 lead!
Tune in on @Pac12Network.
https://t.co/5UjMNnVw6K
https://t.co/zH6P1O5Fts#GoUtes /// #SOTL pic.twitter.com/FXZuH4pUka
Not only did they score off the home run, but at the end of this game it would be a curious fact that both teams have scored all of their runs in both games solely off the long ball. It’s just that the Utes have hit more home runs than the Ducks.
The bats on both sides were silent until the bottom of the fifth inning. Terra McGowan knocked a solo home run over center field to bring Oregon to within one run.
BOOM!!@terramcgowan11 gets the Ducks on the board with her 12th home run of the year!!
— Oregon Softball (@OregonSB) May 7, 2023
E5 | Utah 2, Ducks 1#Pac12Network#GoDucks | #Version5 pic.twitter.com/vRUip4rmWL
Utah scored another solo home run in the top of the sixth inning to lead again by two runs, 1-3.
Hansen was left in the game into the seventh inning. After the Utes picked up a single from their first batter, Morgan Scott was brought in for relief. Unfortunately for Scott and the Ducks, Utah popped off two more homers for 5 RBIs, and Oregon was not going to be able to respond in having to come up with eight runs in the final inning for the win. All that the Ducks were going to be able to generate was this solo shot from Allee Bunker, bringing us to our final score of 2-8:
.@Allee_Bunker gives the Ducks some momentum with her 10th home run of the season!!
— Oregon Softball (@OregonSB) May 7, 2023
B7 | Utah 8, Ducks 2#Pac12Network#GoDucks | #Version5 pic.twitter.com/1KZsOgBJ1R
Oregon (35-13, 14-9 Pac-12) has lost the series against the Utah Utes (33-13, 14-9 Pac-12), and both teams currently share fourth place in the Pac-12 standings. The Ducks need the Sunday win to not only place themselves in front of Utah, but to also take some momentum into post-season. That game is on Sunday, 5/7, at 2:00 pm PT. You can watch this final game of the Pac-12 season on the Pac-12 Network.
Baseball -
@loganm437 gets the ball as the Ducks look to even the series.
— Oregon Duck Baseball (@OregonBaseball) May 7, 2023
Watch https://t.co/VUIyWBYJSe
Listen https://t.co/bxMwp3w2mP
Stats https://t.co/8fVOgd60xL#GoDucks pic.twitter.com/GzCaYBgT5C
Logan Mercado took the mound for Oregon and did what he needed to do for nearly six innings, which was to keep the USC run count low enough to get some help from Oregon’s offense.
The Ducks were first to get on the scoreboard, when they notched a run off the Sabin Ceballos solo shot in the top of the second inning.
- @20_sabin goes yard. #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/CfMdmork5J
— Oregon Duck Baseball (@OregonBaseball) May 7, 2023
USC responded with a solo home run of their own to tie the game after two innings.
END2 | JO goes dead center to bring the Trojans back even after two! ✌️
— USC Baseball (@USC_Baseball) May 7, 2023
USC 1, Oregon 1
https://t.co/SJvLHM9G9h
https://t.co/lkeeZ6VCgX#FightOn // #Gameday pic.twitter.com/V06GT6og1V
Oregon’s offense would come up with nothing for the next three innings, while the Trojans added a pair of solo home runs in the bottom of the third to take a 1-3 lead.
The Ducks began to find their stroke in the sixth inning in manufacturing a pair of runs the small ball way:
— Oregon Duck Baseball (@OregonBaseball) May 7, 2023
Drew Cowley continues to rake. RBI single cuts the lead to 1. #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/E7yxp7qDhZ
Oregon tied the game, but USC put up two run of their own in the bottom of the inning to regain the lead, 3-5.
END6 | Ducks tie it up, but Ryan Jackson knocks in a pair to give the Trojans the lead right back!✌️
— USC Baseball (@USC_Baseball) May 7, 2023
https://t.co/SJvLHM9G9h
https://t.co/lkeeZ6VCgX#FightOn // #Gameday pic.twitter.com/m3ouXgPPXk
Oregon’s bats exploded in the seventh inning, first with this Drew Cowley double that scored two:
— Oregon Duck Baseball (@OregonBaseball) May 7, 2023
Ladies and gentlemen, your reigning Pac-12 Player of the Week. #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/dqBGpGng6u
That was later followed by Tanner Smith also knocking down a 2 RBI double.
T7 | Ducks get four in the inning capped by this 2-run 2-bagger for @tannerr_smith. #GoDucks
— Oregon Duck Baseball (@OregonBaseball) May 7, 2023
Oregon 7
USC 5 pic.twitter.com/tdQGQk6Mui
Oregon’s bullpen combination of Matt Dallas, Grayson Grinsell, and Josh Mollerus were then able to secure the win, keeping the Trojans scoreless through the rest of the game.
B8 | @graysongrinsell with a big-time inning. Inherits a runner on first and gets the next three batters. #GoDucks
— Oregon Duck Baseball (@OregonBaseball) May 7, 2023
Oregon 7
USC 5 pic.twitter.com/YznFJXJIJV
The Oregon pitchers did what they needed to do to allow the bats to catch up, and the Ducks rose to the occasion, rallying to the 7-5 final score. Drew Cowley was the offensive leader today, going 2-5 with 3 RBIs.
— Oregon Duck Baseball (@OregonBaseball) May 7, 2023
Cowley 2-for-5, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R@20_sabin 3-for-4, HR, RBI@tannerr_smith 1-for-5, 2 RBI
Ducks' Bullpen (@dallasmattt, @graysongrinsell, @_jmo40_) 3.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 5 K#GoDucks pic.twitter.com/syg9QUnZ4t
The Oregon Ducks play for the series win today when they face the USC Trojans on Sunday, 5/7, at 12:00 pm PT. The game can be seen on USC Live Stream.
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