Clutch pitching gives Oregon its third straight Big Ten series win

USA Today

23-03-2025

Clutch pitching gives Oregon its third straight Big Ten series win
Baseball games rarely go according to script, but if Oregon coach Mark Wasikowski could draw up a victory in order to win a conference series, this would be it.
The Ducks got six excellent innings out of starter Will Sanford, some clutch hitting to grab and then preserve the lead and then ended the game with a dominating closing performance and all that added up to a 4-2 win over Rutgers to win the series.
Oregon is now 19-5 overall and 7-2 in Big Ten play, good for a tie for first place with Iowa at 7-2. Rutgers dropped to 10-14 overall and 2-4 in conference action.
The Ducks took the early 2-0 in the second inning when Chase Meggers lined a double down the right field line.
That was enough for Sanford on the mound as he continued to get out after out. He found himself in trouble a couple of time, but managed to pitch his way out of it. The only time the Scarlet Knights were able to crack the scoreboard was in the fourth inning with a sacrifice fly.
Oregon scored another run in the fifth on a Burke-Lee Mabeus grounder that brought Aaron Aroz home and it was 3-1.
Reliever Jason Reitz came on in the seventh and pitched a perfect inning. He then came on in the eighth and found himself in some trouble as Rutgers scored one and had the bases loaded with two out. The Ducks called upon left-hander Santiago Garcia and he coaxed Pablo Santos to hit into a fielder's choice to end the inning.
Up 3-2 in the bottom of the eighth, the Ducks were able to score a much-needed insurance run when Jaboc Walsh roped a double to right-center that scored Mason Neville. That was all Garcia needed as he pitched a perfect ninth for his first save of the season.
It was a different story Saturday as Rutgers, with some help from Mother Nature, was able to shutout the Ducks 8-0 for their first ever win in Eugene. It was cold and rainy and Oregon just couldn't get the bats going. They just had two hits for the night.
But in the series opener, starter Grayson Grinsell pitched into the seventh inning but found himself tied at 3-3. Relievers Garcia, Jaxon Jordan and Cole Stokes held Rutgers right there, just long enough for the offense to win the game in the ninth inning thanks to a sacrifice fly from Parker Stinson. It was Stinson's first plate appearance of the season and he made the most of his opportunity.
Oregon was scheduled for a two-game midweek series with Kent State, but weather has already erased that. The Ducks will travel across the country for their first real Big Ten road trip at Ohio State. It hasn't been a fun season for the Buckeyes on the diamond. They are just 6-15 overall and are still looking for their first conference win at 0-6.