USC Evens Series, Tops Ducks 9-2

Saturday, April 16

Los Angeles, Calif.

2:00 PM

University of Oregon

17-15, 2-6

USC

14-20, 5-6

Oregon

USC

Aaron Jones, Baseball 2011 vs. Wichita State, March 25 Credit Eric Evans

Photo by: GoDucks.com

04/17/11 | Baseball

Box Score

By: GoDucks.com

LOS ANGELES – Missed opportunities plagued Oregon on Saturday afternoon as USC evened the weekend series with a 9-2 victory over the Ducks at Dedeaux Diamond.

The rubber match is now set for Sunday with first pitch scheduled for noon.

Oregon (17-15, 2-6) was shutout for six innings by USC (14-20, 5-6) with starter Austin Wood on the hill before the Ducks finally broke through for a single run in the seventh, but Oregon's deficit proved insurmountable.

The Ducks trailed just 3-1 as USC went to the plate in the bottom of the eighth, but Oregon went through four pitchers as the Trojans batted around in the inning scoring six runs on three walks, two hits, a hit-by-pitch and one error. USC's last four runs of the inning were unearned.

Oregon's loss overshadowed Danny Pulfer 's day at the plate. The Cypress, Calif., native went 5-for-5 with four singles and a double, setting a new Oregon record for hits in a single game.

The Ducks added a run in the top of the ninth as the bases were loaded with two outs on back-to-back singles from Pulfer and Brett Thomas , and a walk issued to Stefan Sabol .

Aaron Jones ' one-run single scored Pulfer, but Sabol was caught off second for the game's final out.

Wood improved to 3-5 on the year, allowing just one run on seven hits and two walks in six and 2/3 innings of work, while fanning five.

Junior right-hander Madison Boer (2-2) took the loss for Oregon allowing three runs on 10 hits and four walks in five and 2/3 innings on the mound.

USC outhit Oregon 13-11, and the Ducks committed three errors while stranding 11 runners on base. Oregon used five relief pitchers as the bullpen surrendered six runs – two earned – on three hits and five walks.

Oregon scored its first run in the top of the seventh as USC went to its bullpen after Wood surrendered a one-out single to pinch-hitter Ryan Hambright . In relief, Ben Mount loaded the bases as Pulfer picked up his fourth hit of the day and Thomas was hit by a pitch. Sabol then put a ball in play that was fielded by Adam Landecker at third allowing pinch-runner Dylan Gavin to score Oregon's first run of the game.

James Roberts and Alex Sherrod led USC offensively. Roberts was 3-for-5 at the plate with three runs driven in while Sherrod was 3-for-4 with a RBI and two runs scored.

The Trojans scored two runs to take a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth after a single, walk and sacrifice put runners on second and third with one out. Matt Foat's RBI groundout scored Ricky Oropesa and Joey De Pinto scored from third on a passed ball before Boer finally got out of it by retiring Landecker.

USC used a two-out rally in the fourth to take a 1-0 lead as Roberts' two-out single scored Sherrod from second as Jones' throw from right field was off the mark. Sherrod and Landecker kept the inning alive with back-to-back singles before Roberts roped a ball into right field.

Notes: Danny Pulfer has reached safely in 18 consecutive game and has recorded hits in 16 of those contests…Pulfer's five hits set a new Oregon single-game record…For the first time this season, Jack Marder was caught stealing, attempting to take second after a two-out single in the top of the second…Brett Thomas and Aaron Jones lead the Ducks on six-game hitting streaks…Oregon has recorded double-digit hits in four straight games...Christian Jones made his first appearance on the hill since March 26 vs. Wichita State, tossing 2/3 of an inning.