Big Flies Hurt Ducks In Loss

Thursday, April 18

Eugene, Ore.

7:00 PM

University of Oregon

22-14, 7-6

Stanford

25-6, 11-2

Stanford

Oregon

Photo by: @EricEvansPhoto

04/18/19 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score: #2 Stanford 5, Oregon 4

Oregon went toe-to-toe with No. 2 Stanford on Thursday, but three home runs allowed contributed to a 5-4 defeat.

By: Rob Moseley

EUGENE, Ore. — Fresh off a week in which the Oregon baseball team felt it found the right formula both at the plate and on the mound, the Ducks continued to execute well but didn't get the result they sought Thursday night, dropping their series opener with No. 2 Stanford, 5-4.

The Ducks banged out 13 hits and gave up just seven, and Stanford committed the game's only error. But the Cardinal bashed three home runs, building a lead Oregon couldn't quite overcome before 1,208 fans at PK Park.

"It's frustrating when you outplay a team and the game doesn't reward you," said UO junior shortstop Spencer Steer, who hit his sixth home run and extended his hitting streak to 16 games, longest in the modern era of UO baseball. "But I'm happy with the way we played tonight."

How It Happened: The Ducks (22-14, 7-6 Pac-12) were coming off a five-game road trip in which their situational hitting improved, and the pitching staff began to limit free bases. That largely continued Thursday, though it didn't yield a victory.

Oregon went up 1-0 in the first inning on a two-out double by Jonny DeLuca that scored Sam Novitske. Novitske turned in his second four-hit game in the last four, finishing 4-for-5 with two runs scored. The Ducks got another two-out RBI in the sixth, a single by Jakob Goldfarb in his return from injury that scored Gabe Matthews.

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By then, though, the Ducks were in a hole thanks to three pitches the Cardinal sent over the fence. Brandon Wulff hit a two-run homer in the second that put Stanford ahead, until Steer's solo shot in the third tied it, 2-2.

Wulff homered again to lead off the sixth, and a two-out hit by pitch proved critical for UO starter Cullen Kafka (4-3) when the next hitter, Duke Kinamon, homered as well. That two-run shot turned out to be the difference in the final outcome.

After walking just one batter in Monday's win at Gonzaga, the Ducks walked five Thursday, but none came around to score. Offensively, their most frustrating missed opportunity might have come in the fifth, when the failure to execute a hit-and-run resulted in a strikeout and a caught stealing. Steer followed with a single that would have plated a run had the hit-and-run been executed.

"When you play a team that's as complete as they are, you'd like to get all those breaks," UO coach George Horton said. "And we didn't. ... We played with them, but it's not a moral victory. We're disappointed we didn't win."

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Beyond the Box Score: UO football coach Mario Cristobal threw out the ceremonial first pitch. … Along with his homer, Steer also drove in a run on a fielder's choice in the seventh. He's now 12-of-27 over his last six games, with four homers and 14 RBIs. … Now up to 34 RBIs on the season, Steer is at 106 for his career and is on pace to lead the Ducks for the third year in a row. Steer is two RBIs away from tying Kyle Garlick for third on the UO career list, and 22 away from career leader Mitchell Tolman. ... Steer drove in multiple runs for the 31st time in his career. That ties him with Ryon Healy on the UO career list, one behind Tolman for the UO record. … Novitske has reached base in 34 of 36 games via hit, BB or error ... He has gotten on multiple times in 29 of the 36 games ... Matthews doubled to lead off the sixth before scoring on Goldfarb's single. The double was the 30th of Matthews' career, tying him with Steer and Steven Packard for seventh in UO history. … Goldfarb had last played on March 17 due to injury.

Up Next: The Ducks and Cardinal continue the series on Friday (4 p.m., Pac-12 Network). With UO starter Robby Ahlstrom sidelined by illness this weekend, Cole Stringer will start Friday, and Saturday's UO starter is TBA.