University of Oregon
21-13, 7-5
Washington State
8-25, 1-11
Late Rally Spoiled For Ducks At WSU
04/14/19 | Baseball
Spencer Steer's second home run of the game Sunday was a grand slam in the ninth to force extra innings, but WSU won in the 10th to avoid a series sweep.
With two out in the 10th, Collin Montez reached on an infield single and took second on a throwing error. Montez took third on a wild pitch, and scored when UO reliever Ryne Nelson walked Brody Barnum on a high-and-tight pitch that catcher Cameron Campbell was unable to secure, allowing Montez to score.
How It Happened: Steer's grand slam was his second home run of the day. His first got Oregon (21-13, 7-5 Pac-12) on the board in the fourth inning, after WSU (8-25, 1-11) had jumped out to a 3-0 lead.
A UO error contributed to a three-run WSU rally in the fifth, putting the home team ahead 6-1. The Ducks went scoreless in the sixth, but the game turned in that inning after UO outfielder Tanner Smith objected to the third different WSU pitcher of the weekend throwing under his chin; in the wake of the ensuing confrontation, Cougars reliever Hayden Rosenkrantz struck out the side but was ejected while walking past Smith after the inning ended.
Though WSU added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth, that incident seemed to light a fire under the Ducks. The first three batters of the seventh all reached, with sacrifice flies by Sam Novitske and then Smith plating Taylor Adams and Campbell, respectively, to make it 7-3.
The top of the ninth began in similar fashion, with Oregon loading the bases as the first three hitters all reached. Aaron Zavala led off with a walk as a pinch hitter, Campbell reached on an infield single and Max Foxcroft walked, all with none out. Novitske and Smith were retired, but Steer lofted a fly ball into strong winds blowing out to right field, for his second grand slam of the weekend.
The Ducks had a chance in the 10th, when Campbell walked with one out and Novitske worked a two-out walk. But Smith was retired, leaving Steer on deck. The start of the bottom of the 10th was delayed 17 minutes so the umpiring crew could adjust to the loss of the home plate ump, who experienced dizziness after taking a foul ball off his mask earlier in the game.
Beyond The Box Score: Steer was 7-for-14 with 11 RBIs for the three-game series. … Steer extended his hitting streak to 14 games, and now leads the Ducks in hitting (.350), home runs (five) and RBIs (32). … Oregon's three errors and three wild pitches contributed to four unearned runs off UO pitchers. … The Ducks saw their five-game win streak come to an end, but they scored at least seven runs for the fifth game in a row.
Up Next: After the game, the Ducks drove to Spokane, where they will play Monday at Gonzaga, with first pitched scheduled for 3 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Moyle, Bryce (1-0)
L: Nelson, Ryne (2-1)
Batting:
HR: Steer, Spencer 2
RBI: Novitske, Sam 1 ; Smith, Tanner 1 ; Steer, Spencer 5
SF: Novitske, Sam 1 ; Smith, Tanner 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Steer, Spencer 2 ; Adams, Taylor 1 ; Zavala, Aaron 1 ; Campbell, Cameron 2 ; Foxcroft, Max 1
CS: Novitske, Sam 1
HBP: Campbell, Cameron 2
Batting:
2B: Smith, Jack 1 ; Kolden, Kodie 1
RBI: Plew, Dillon 1 ; Alvarez, Andres 1 ; Smith, Jack 2 ; Barnum, Brody 1 ; Kolden, Kodie 2
SH: Sinatro, Danny 2 ; Alvarez, Andres 1 ; Kolden, Kodie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Plew, Dillon 2 ; Sinatro, Danny 1 ; Smith, Jack 1 ; Montez, Collin 2 ; Barnum, Brody 1 ; Gouldsmith, Garrett 1
SB: Plew, Dillon 1 ; Montez, Collin 2 ; Barnum, Brody 2
