Stavert Shines, Serna Preserves Ducks? Road Win over Nevada

Friday, March 13

Reno, Nev.

1:00 PM

University of Oregon

7-7

Nevada

5-9

Oregon Ducks

NEVADA

Photo by: Eric Evans/GoDucks.com

Stavert Shines, Serna Preserves Ducks? Road Win over Nevada

03/14/09 | Baseball

Box Score

By: GoDucks.com

RENO, Nev. ? Oregon shortstop KC Serna was handed the ball with one down and the potential tying run on second base in the bottom of the ninth and sandwiched a pair of outs around a base on balls to earn his first career save in the Ducks' 6-5 victory over Nevada on Friday at Peccole Park.

The 6-0 freshman, who hadn't thrown a pitch in a Duck uniform prior to the game, switched positions with reliever Scott McGough with one away and two runs already across for the Wolf Pack, and coaxed Travis Simas to fly out to left and Matt Bowman to foul out to first, ending UNR's late rally.

The Ducks (7-7), who never trailed in the contest, made up for their second straight adventurous day in the field with stellar pitching from starter Erik Stavert and home runs by Eddy Rodriguez and Jett Hart.

Stavert (3-1) won his third straight decision, going 7 2/3 innings without surrendering an earned run. The right-hander scattered seven hits, walked three and struck out three, and was victimized by a pair of errors in the fifth inning that led to three runs.

Nevada left-hander Brock Stassi (2-2) was also impressive, pitching 8 1/3 innings and allowing just two earned runs. He allowed 10 hits, walked only one and fanned four, but some poor defense behind him led to a pair of unearned runs in both the third and sixth innings.

Hart's big blow ? his team-high second of the season - came in the sixth after Serna had reached on a two-out throwing error by third baseman Tyson Jaquez, breaking a 3-3 tie.

Danny Pulfer added what ended up being the necessary insurance with an RBI single in the ninth to extend UO's cushion to 6-3.

Jaquez and Michael Turay, the 4-5 hitters for the Wolf Pack (5-9), led off Nevada's half of the ninth with a pair of singles off Oregon left-hader Ryan Fleckenstein, who had pitched out of a bases-loaded jam to end the eighth. McGough came on and issued a wild pitch, sending runners to second and third, and Nick Melino knocked them home with a base hit to right, making the score 6-5 with nobody out.

Following a sacrifice bunt by Aaron Henry to move Melino into scoring position, Serna came on and closed the door.

As was the case with Nevada's final two runs of its win on Thursday, the Wolf Pack's first three runs on Friday came home as a result of Oregon errors. A miscue by third baseman John Adamson with two down in the fifth allowed the first run to cross the plate, extending an inning that also featured a catcher's interference call and wild pitch.

But this time around, the Ducks did not allow their mistakes to linger and were able to persevere.

Rodriguez made the score 3-0 by leading off the fourth with a towering solo home run to left. On the previous pitch, Rodriguez accidentally launched his bat into the left-field bleachers after an errant swing. He retrieved the bat, put a batting glove on his left hand and proceeded to go deep for the first time in his UO career.

Curtis Raulinaitis got the Ducks' offense going in the top of the third, slicing an opposite field double down the left-field line to drive home two for an early 2-0 lead. Josh Hogan, who had reached on an error to lead off the frame, and Caleb Tommasini , who picked up a two-out infield hit, came around to score.

The two non-conference foes are scheduled to play Game 3 of their four-game series on Saturday at 1 p.m. Left-hander Bennett Whitmore is slated to take the ball for the Ducks.

QUACK TRACKS: Nevada left 14 men on base while UO stranded four ... UNR turned three double-plays compared to one for the Ducks ... Rodriguez, Hogan and Pulfer had two hits apiece for the Ducks ... Oregon snapped a five-game road losing streak, improving to 2-5 away from PK Park ... Tommasini stole his team-leading ninth base in 10 attempts ... Of the game's first eight runs, only one was earned.