Ducks win on Novitske walk off

Saturday, April 24

Eugene, Ore.

2:00 PM

University of Oregon

24-8, 10-4

UCLA

22-13, 9-8

UCLA

Oregon

Photo by: Photo: Deborah Mundorff

04/24/21 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score: #14 Oregon 3, UCLA 2 (10)

By: Todd

EUGENE – Sam Novitske delivered a walk-off single to left field to score pinch runner Bryce Boettcher and give No. 14 Oregon a 3-2, 10-inning, Pac-12 Conference win over UCLA on Saturday at PK Park.

Oregon (24-8, 10-4 Pac-12) clinched the series with the win after also beating UCLA (22-13, 9-8 Pac-12) 5-3 on Friday night in the series opener.

How It Happened: Both teams scored a pair of runs early with UCLA taking the lead in the top of the second and Oregon tying it at 2-2 in the bottom of the third.

With the Bruins leading 2-0, Gavin Grant walked with one out in the third and advanced to third on a Tanner Smith base hit. After Anthony Hall walked to load the bases, Kenyon Yovan drove in Grant with a sacrifice fly to left field. Aaron Zavala followed with a RBI single to right field to score Smith and knot the game at two.

From there the pitchers for both teams took over, not allowing another run until Oregon's game-winner in the 10th.

While neither team could score, both threatened on a couple of occasions. Oregon had the first two batters reach base in the sixth on a pair of infield singles, but Bruins reliever Daniel Colwell got out of the inning thanks to a little help from the Ducks.

After Zavala and Josh Kasevich reached to put runners at first and second, Gabe Matthews flew out to right fielder Michael Curialle for the first out of the inning. Zavala tagged from second and beat the throw to third but the momentum of his slide took him past the bag and third baseman Kyle Karros tagged him for the second out. Colwell got Novitske to fly out to center to end the threat.

After Grant reached on a one-out base hit in the seventh, Tanner Smith doubled down the left-field line. The ball ricocheted off the wall in foul territory in shallow left field. Grant attempted to score all the way from first, but Kyle Cueller recovered fast to play the ball and hit shortstop Matt McLain who threw a strike to catcher Noah Cardenas on the relay to get Grant at the plate for the second out. Smith, who moved to third on the throw, was stranded when Kenyon Yovan popped out to Karros to end the inning.

UCLA had a bases loaded situation and a runners on second and third with no outs opportunity it could not capitalize on with runs. In the third, the Bruins put three on with a pair of base hits and a hit-by-pitch, but Oregon starter Cullen Kafka (5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 4 K) fanned Mikey Perez to end the threat and keep the game tied.

The Bruins had an even better opportunity in the top of the ninth putting runners on second and third with no outs on a HBP and a seeing-eye single into right field that put both runners in scoring position after the throw to third did not get Perez who had been hit by the pitch.

Ducks' reliever Andrew Mosiello struck out Curialle for the first out of the inning, and then with the infield in he got Cardenas to ground to Kasevich at short. He threw to catcher Jack Scanlon who ran Perez back to third where the Bruins had two base runners, allowing Scanlon to tag Perez out.

Mosiello struck out Karros swinging to end the inning and set up Oregon's 10th inning dramatics.

Yovan led off the 10th with a base hit to right field. Bryce Boettcher, who pinch ran for Yovan, moved to second on an errant throw by Cardenas on a back-pick attempt at first. UCLA intentionally walked Zavala to put runners at first and second, before nearly getting two outs with a double play.

Kasevich grounded to McLain at short who went to second for the first out, but Perez's throw on the turn didn't have enough on it after Zavala slid hard into second, and first baseman JT Schwartz was not able to pick it out of the dirt allowing Kasevich to reach safely and put runners at the corners.

UCLA intentionally walked Gabe Matthews to load the bases for Novitske. The Ducks second-year sophomore third baseman took the first two pitches for balls getting ahead in the count and forcing Bruins' reliever Max Rajcic (0-1) to attack the strike zone.

Novitske jumped on the next pitch, lacing a single to left field that scored Boettcher with the winning run.

Box Score Notes: Oregon moved to 3-0 in extra-inning games with two of those coming in Pac-12 games … Oregon has won its last four extra-inning games dating back to a 4-3, 12-inning, loss at Grand Canyon on Feb. 18, 2020 … The Ducks picked up a series win over the Bruins for the first time since 2015 … Oregon also has won the series between the two teams in 2014 (sweep) and 2012 … A day after getting a save, Kolby Somers picked up his fifth career win after retiring the Bruins in order in the top of the 10th … Somers' the last win came on Feb. 21, 2020 vs. Nevada … Smith went 2-for-3 with a run scored … It was his 12th multiple hit game of the season and the 28th of his career … Zavala finished 2-for-4 with a RBI … He recorded his 15th multiple hit game of the year and the 32nd of his career …

On Deck: Oregon will look for the series sweep on Sunday with a 12:05 p.m. first pitch. Brett Walker (4-1, 3.53) is on the mound for the Ducks, while Jesse Bergin (4-2, 4.29) gets the ball for the Bruins.