Ducks lose lead in ninth in 8-5 loss

Sunday, February 16

Tempe, Ariz.

10:00 AM

University of Oregon

0-3

Pepperdine

3-0

Pepperdine

Oregon

Photo by: Nick Domiano

02/16/20 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score: Pepperdine 8, Oregon 5

Tempe Ariz. – An Aharon Modlin go-ahead two-run home run in the top of the ninth gave Pepperdine the lead in an 8-5 victory Sunday afternoon at Tempe Diablo Stadium in the Angels College Classic.

How it Happened: With the Ducks (0-3) on top 5-4 with one out in the top of the ninth, Modlin hit the go-ahead home run off Christian Ciuffetelli to give Pepperdine a 6-5 lead. The Waves (3-0) would add two more runs in the ninth to increase the lead to 8-5.

Oregon attempted a late rally, but after a leadoff walk to Jack Scanlon the Ducks went down quietly in the bottom of the ninth.

Pepperdine took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Robert Ahlstrom walked in a run with the bases loaded. Scanlon tied the game in the bottom of the second with a sacrifice fly scoring Anthony Hall.

With the game tied 1-1 in the bottom of the fourth, the Ducks scored four runs to take a 5-1 lead. After the Ducks loaded the bases with two hit batters and a walk, Tanner Smith drove in Scanlon and Gavin Grant for a 3-1 lead.

After another hit by pitch, senior Gabe Matthews tacked on two more runs with a single through the right side of the infield that scored Sam Novitske and Smith for a four-run lead.

Ahlstrom settled in after giving up the first-inning run, retiring nine in a row from the third out of the third inning to the first out of the sixth inning, before running into trouble in the latter part of the sixth.

Pepperdine cut into the lead when it scored three runs on five hits, closing the deficit to 5-4.
Hunter Breault came in relief of Ahlstrom and threw 2.1 scoreless innings with a strikeout to keep it a one-run game before leaving the game after the eighth.

Box Score Notes: With his two-RBI single in the fourth inning, Matthews moved into ninth all-time in multiple-RBI games with 18 … Matthews passed KC Serna (2009-11) in career at bats and moved to eighth all-time during his fourth inning plate appearance … He now has 592 career at bats … Ahlstrom threw 5.2 innings, gave up four runs, nine hits and recorded seven strikeouts … Kenyon Yovan came out of the bullpen to pitch for the first time since suffering a season-ending injury at Texas Tech on Feb. 15, 2019 (Oregon's season opener).

Series Notes: Matthews hit .417 (5-for-12) with one triple, a double, four RBI and four runs scored … Matthews' five hits moves him to eighth all-time on the career hits list with 167, passing KC Senra (2009-11) … With four RBI, Matthews moved into a tie for fifth with J.J. Altobelli in career RBI with 91 … Matthews also moved into a tie for fifth in career doubles with Brett Thomas (2011-13) with 34 … After recording two outfield assists, Smith is tied for fourth all-time with Steven Packard (2010,13-16) in outfield assists with seven … Yovan hit .462 (6-for-13) with one triple, four runs scored and two walks … Sophomore Aaron Zavala hit .400 (4-for-10) with four RBI and four walks … Hall hit .333 (4-for-12) with a triple, four RBI, three runs scored, two walks and a HBP … Grant had six walks and stole two bases ... Juniors Breault, Brett Walker and Kolby Somers all threw two scoreless innings of relief, as did freshman Decker Stedman.

On Deck: Oregon faces Grand Canyon on Tuesday at 1 p.m. Walker is scheduled to start for the Ducks.