Ducks lose at Hawaii in walk-off fashion

Saturday, March 7

Honolulu, Hawaii

8:35 PM

University of Oregon

7-7

Hawaii

11-5

Oregon

Hawaii

Photo by: Owen Schatz

03/08/20 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score: Hawaii 7, Oregon 6

Honolulu – Hawaii scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning to win game three of the series, 7-6, at Les Murakami Stadium on Saturday night.

How it Happened: Hawaii loaded the bases with no outs off Hunter Breault in the ninth. The Ducks brought in Kolby Somers from the bullpen and he got Tyler Best to hit a high chopper to shortstop Gavin Grant who threw a strike to the plate but catcher Jack Scanlon dropped the ball allowing Adam Fogel to score the winning run.

Fogel, a pinch hitter, led off the inning with a base hit, moved to second on a throwing error by Breault on a sacrifice bunt and to third on a wild pitch, before the Ducks intentionally walked Matt Wong.

The Rainbow Warriors (11-5) scored the run after Oregon (7-7) tied the game in the top half of the inning. With runners at the corners and one out, freshman pinch runner Parker Schmidt scored from second base on a ground ball to the second baseman that Hawaii couldn't complete the double play on. Schmidt raced around third and beat the throw to the plate.

Oregon jumped out to an early lead thanks to some help from Hawaii starter Brandon Ross. The Rainbow Warriors' lefty didn't record an out, walking three and hitting one batter. Senior Gabe Matthews picked up Oregon's RBI with a bases-loaded walk scoring Tanner Smith.

Oregon added to the lead with two runs in the third with more Hawaii help. After Sam Novitske leadoff walk, Kenyon Yovan reached on a passed ball on a swinging third strike. Aaron Zavala drove in Novitske on a ground out that would have ended the inning if not for the passed ball. Evan Williams followed with a RBI single scoring Yovan for a 3-0 lead.

The Ducks built on the lead with two more runs in the top of the fifth. Kenyon Yovan picked up the first RBI with a sacrifice fly scoring Smith, who led off the inning with a single. Matthews followed with an RBI double inside the first-base bag scoring Novitske who reached on a bunt single.

Like game one, Hawaii battled back to take the lead with two runs in the bottom of the fifth and four in the bottom of the seventh.

Box Score Notes: Matthews' fifth-inning RBI was the 100th of his career, which ranks fifth all-time (ended with 101) … The multi-RBI game was the 21st for Matthews in his career, good for sixth all-time … The fifth-inning double was the 38th of his career, tying J.J. Altobelli (2010-13) for third all-time at Oregon … Novitske reached base four times with a hit, two walks and a HBP … The leadoff spot and two hole scored five of Oregon's six runs (Smith 2, Novitske 2, Schmidt 1).

On Deck: The series finale is Sunday at 4:05 p.m. Oregon will send Brett Walker (2-0, 1.35) to the mound while Hawaii will counter with freshman Tai Atkins (0-0, 2.35).