Portland Outlasts Ducks In High-Scoring Affair

Tuesday, April 14

Eugene, Ore.

3:00 PM

University of Oregon

12-21

Portland

18-16

Portland

Oregon Ducks

Photo by: GoDucks.com

04/15/09 | Baseball

Box Score

By: GoDucks.com

EUGENE, Ore. - Despite putting a season-high 14 hits together at PK Park on Tuesday, Oregon dropped its sixth in a row, 12-8, to Portland.

The Ducks (12-21) looked to have the game in their command with a 7-3 lead after four innings, but the Pilots (18-16) added nine runs in the next three to complete the season sweep of Oregon.

Portland took the lead for good in the fifth when right fielder Tyler Thompson launched his first home run of the season over the wall in left center to give the Pilots an 8-7 lead. Thompson's three-run homer came with two outs on the scoreboard and was part of a five-run, two-out rally for Portland in the fifth. Oregon right-hander Madison Boer retired the first two batters of the fifth, before surrendering a hit to Riley Henricks and issuing a walk to Bryant Kraus. Chase Powell and Clayton Shaw then hit back-to-back RBI singles before Thompson came to the plate with the table set for his three-run homer off freshman Chris Garrison.

Portland's 12 runs are the most the Ducks have given up in a game this season, as the top three batters in the Pilots' lineup each had multiple-hit games. Kris Kauppila finished his day 2-for-4 with three runs scored and his 14th double of the season, while Craig Smith led the Pilots with a 3-for-5, four RBI performance. Shaw was 2-for-3 with two runs scored.

Portland ended the day with 12 hits, and five of those were for extra bases.

Mark Triolo (4-5) was the pitcher of record tossing 1 and 1/3 innings when Thompson launched his three-run homer, but Keeler Brynteson did the rest of the work, pitching the final five innings and holding the Ducks to one run on five hits in his first save of the season.

Garrison (0-2) took the loss for the Ducks after giving up the home run to Thompson, the first batter he faced in relief of Boer. A total of seven Oregon pitchers (Boer, Garrison, Zack Thornton, Blake Williams, Ryan Fleckenstein, Geoff Nichols, Drew Gagnier) appeared in relief of starter Bennett Whitmore.

The Ducks were led at the plate by freshman Danny Pulfer, who set career highs with his three RBI and three hits. Making the move back to second base and batting third, Pulfer started a two-out rally in the bottom of the third, driving a one-run double over Smith's reach in center field to bring Tommasini home after the senior stole his team-leading 14th base of the season by out racing a rundown at second. Eddy Rodriguez then lined a single to left to score Pulfer, knotting the game at 3-3. That set the table for Eshleman, who hammered his second home run of the season, a two-run round tripper nearly 412 feet over the wall in center.

In the bottom of the fourth it was Pulfer again with a two-run, two-out shot back up the middle to bring Dylan Gavin and Tommasini home.

The Ducks return to Pac-10 action at 2:30 p.m., Friday at Evans Diamond on the California campus.

Notes: Oregon's eight runs was its most since a 12-3 win over Santa Clara on March 7...the Ducks' 14 hits were a season high...Portland's 12 runs were the most Oregon has given up this season, the previous high was 10...Caleb Tommasini stole his team-leading 14th base of the season...Danny Pulfer hit his first double of the season...Antony Kreitz hit his first career triple.