Ducks Open Series with 4-3 Win Over Visiting Trojans

Friday, April 15

Eugene, Ore.

6:00 PM

University of Oregon

15-12, 5-5

USC

15-17, 5-5

USC

Oregon

Photo by: Eric Evans/GoDucks.com

Ducks Open Series with 4-3 Win Over Visiting Trojans

04/16/16 | Baseball, @GoDucksMoseley

Box Score

By: GoDucks.com

by Rob Moseley
Editor, GoDucks.com
Photo: Eric Evans

EUGENE, Ore. — The Oregon baseball team won a series opener for the first time in more than a month Friday, kicking off a critical three-game set against USC with a 4-3 victory before 1,881 in PK Park.

How It Happened: On a night new Friday starter Matt Krook struggled with his command, he fought through to provide six innings and earn the victory. Krook repeatedly worked himself out of jams, while at the plate the Ducks (15-12, 5-5 Pac-12) came through with timely hit after timely hit to tie the Trojans (15-17, 5-5) in the Pac-12 standings.

The Ducks have won three straight for the first time since late February.

“It's the snowball effect,” junior Jake Bennett said. “We're starting to get some things right, and everybody's feeling a little more confident.”

USC leadoff hitter Corey Dempster doubled and came around to score to open the game, but Oregon quickly tied the score when Austin Grebeck led off the bottom of the first with a walk and scored on an A.J. Balta triple.

The Ducks went up 2-1 in the second when Slade Heggen tripled with two outs and scored on a single by Grebeck. The Trojans' two-run fourth put them up 3-2, but UO freshman Travis Moniot led off the bottom of the fifth with a solo homer to deep right, tying the game again.

Krook (3-1) retired the final five hitters he faced, getting his first 1-2-3 inning of the night in the sixth. That put him at 106 pitches, and the Ducks put him in position to win in the bottom of the sixth when Jake Bennett led off with a single, stole second and came all the way around when USC committed two errors on the play.

Oregon thus led 4-3, and the bullpen did the rest. Matt Mercer retired two straight to open the seventh before surrendering two singles and giving way to Brac Warren, whose strikeout ended the threat.

Warren pitched the eighth as well, and Stephen Nogosek pitched around a one-out walk in the ninth to earn his eighth save.

“It feels good,” UO coach George Horton said. “It's been a while since we've won on Friday, and that doesn't make the rest of the series any easier — the prideful Trojans I'm sure will come back guns a-blazin' — but to get off to a good start, we feel good about that.”

Mixed Bag For Krook: The Ducks' new Friday night starter was disappointed with himself, while Horton lauded him for battling through his command problems and wanting to start the seventh despite his high pitch count.

After allowing the leadoff man to score in the first, Krook coaxed a double play and then got a strikeout to strand a runner at second. He stranded another runner in scoring position in the third, and limited the Trojans to two runs in the fourth by stranding two more. Yet again in the fifth, he allowed two baserunners with one out, but escaped the jam.

For the game Krook threw six innings and allowed three runs on four hits, with six walks and two hit batters.

“I should have had a lot more zeros up there,” he said. “It's frustrating, because I feel like I've worked hard at throwing more strikes, and I haven't locked it down yet. But our offense is coming around — they're really fun to watch right now — and our bullpen is lights out.”

Moniot's Big Moments: Moniot came into the game hitting .149. Given that he was scuffling, and hitting ninth in the order against USC's ace, he figured he might be challenged as the leadoff man in the bottom of the fifth.

The freshman turned on a first-pitch fastball and yanked it high and deep over the right-field fence, tying the game 3-3.

“I just thought I'd jump on the first pitch,” he said. “… I thought they'd try to sneak one by me.”

Moniot shined defensively in the eighth, after Warren allowed a one-out single. The Trojans put on a hit-and-run, so Moniot broke to cover second when the runner left first, but the batter hit a ball back toward where he'd been standing in the first place. So Moniot broke back to his right, backhanded the ball and got off a quick throw to first base, where Tim Susnara made an outstanding pick to get the out.

Notable: The Ducks won a series opener for the first time since March 4 against UC Santa Barbara. … Balta went 2-for-4 and Heggen was 1-for-3, each raising his average to an even .200. … USC starter Joe Navilhon is a transfer from Cal State Fullerton, where Horton coached from 1997-2007. Navilhon's father, Larry, won 14 games for the Titans in 1979, at the time No. 2 on the school's single-season record list.

Up Next: Junior left-hander Cole Irvin (2-3, 3.69) takes the mound for the Ducks against Mitch Hart (0-0, 6.23) of USC on Saturday at 2 p.m.