Ducks comeback falls short at No. 7 Arizona

Friday, April 14

Tucson, Ariz.

7:00 PM

University of Oregon

23-9, 0

Arizona

25-9, 0

Oregon

Arizona

04/14/17 | Baseball

Box Score

Tucson, Ariz. – No. 22 Oregon fell behind early to No. 7 Arizona and couldn't quite complete the comeback in a 5-4 loss at Hi Corbett Field on Friday night.

Arizona (25-9, 8-6 Pac-12) built a 5-0 lead but the Ducks were able to cut the lead to 5-4 on a Jake Bennett double in the top of the ninth. That's all the closer Oregon could get. After Spencer Steer was hit by a pitch, Gabe Matthews flew out and A.J. Balta grounded out to end the game.

How it Happened: Arizona took the early lead with a little help from the Ducks in the first inning. The Wildcats loaded the bases with no outs with a pair of walks sandwiched around a single off Oregon starter Matt Mercer. Despite the trouble, Mercer should have got out of the inning without allowing any runs. After getting Wildcats' cleanup hitter JJ Matijevic to pop out, Mercer got Mitchell Morimoto to ground into what should have been an inning-ending double play. Instead Morgan McCullough's relay throw was wild allowing two runs to score.

Oregon had chances to respond in the next three innings. The Ducks had runners on second and third with one out in the second but couldn't score. They then left the bases loaded in the third and had runners on first and second in the fourth but grounded into an inning-ending double play.

The Wildcats added three runs, two earned, in the bottom of the fifth off Mercer. After a leadoff walk to Cal Stevenson, the Ducks' righty retired the next two hitters before the runner on first moved to second on an error by Matthews at first base on a pickoff attempt. The Ducks then walked Matijevic intentionally before Marimoto singled to right. Stevenson took a wide turn around third as the throw came home from right fielder Matthew Dyer. Catcher Tim Susnara attempted to get Stevenson at third but the throw was wild into left field allowing Stevenson to score. Nick Quintana then delivered a two-RBI single to put the Wildcats on top 5-0.

The Ducks got on the board in the seventh with three runs on two hits. McCullough drove in the first run with a double down the right field line scoring Daniel Patzlaff who led off the inning with a pinch-hit walk. Bennett and Steer both added sacrifice flies to get the Ducks within two.

Inside the box score: The Ducks, who didn't score until the seventh inning, have not been shut out this season … McCullough went 2-for-4 with an RBI, his third straight game with multiple hits … Bennett went 1-for-3 with two RBI … James Acuna, Cole Stringer and Brac Warren combined for a scoreless three innings of relief.

On Deck: The Ducks and Wildcats wrap up their three-game series on Saturday at 12 p.m. at Hi Corbett Field. The Ducks will send Isaiah Carranza (2-0, 1.80) to the mound.