Ducks Drop Opener To Trojans

Friday, April 27

Eugene, Ore.

6:00 PM

University of Oregon

19-20, 6-13

USC

19-19, 7-12

USC

Oregon

Photo by: Ben Crawford

04/27/18 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score: USC 10, Oregon 2

The Oregon baseball team will look to even its series with USC on Saturday in PK Park at 2 p.m.

By: Rob Moseley

EUGENE, Ore. — The Oregon baseball team's losing streak reached six games Friday, when the Ducks dropped a series opener to USC, 10-2, before 1,002 fans in PK Park.

USC broke the game open with a five-run third inning. The Ducks (19-20, 6-13 Pac-12) had several chances to rally back but couldn't come through with a key hit while runners were in scoring position.

"We're an unconfident team, and in some cases trying too hard," UO coach George Horton said. "They took better at-bats with guys in scoring position than we did, and they made better pitches with guys in scoring position than we did."

How It Happened: Oregon started strong, with starter Matt Mercer facing one over the minimum through two innings, and the Ducks scoring first. Kyle Kasser, newly installed in the No. 3 hole, reached on a fielder's choice and scored on a two-out single by Gabe Matthews, giving Oregon a 1-0 lead.

But that would end up being the only hit of the game for the Ducks with a runner in scoring position. USC was more opportunistic; in the top of the third, Mercer issued a pair of two-out walks to load the bases after the Trojans had tied the score 1-1, and Stephen Dubb brought in two with a double before scoring himself on a two-run single by Matthew Acosta.

Oregon tried to mount its own two-out rally in the fourth, when Kenyon Yovan doubled and Tayler Travess walked, but Ray Soderman flew out to end the inning. A bases-loaded flyout by Spencer Steer scored Jakob Goldfarb in the fifth to make it 5-2, but the Ducks stranded the other two runners, before leaving the bases loaded in the seventh.

"We've been missing it all year, the big hit with guys in scoring position and two outs," Goldfarb said. "We've just got to find it. ... If anything we're overthinking it. We've just got to calm down and let it be physical, not mental."

USC padded its lead with five runs in the ninth.

Duck Notes: Kasser had hit leadoff in the previous 83 games for the Ducks, before going 1-for-3 with a walk and a hit by pitch as the No. 3 hitter Friday. …. Goldfarb moved up to the leadoff hole and doubled twice. He was thrown out at home on Kasser's fielder's choice in the first, and got into a testy exchange with Trojans players that set the stage for a chippy night all the way around. Kasser and Steer were hit in back-to-back at-bats in the seventh, after Mercer hit the USC catcher in the sixth. … Kasser and Goldfarb each threw out a USC runner at home. For Goldfarb, it was his 10th career outfield assist, one shy of the UO record held by Austin Grebeck.

On Deck: The Ducks and Trojans resume the series Saturday at 2p.m., with Yovan (3-2, 2.59) facing USC lefty Quentin Longrie (4-3, 3.81).