Ducks drop game two at Cal

Saturday, April 22

Berkeley, Calif.

2:05 PM

University of Oregon

25-12, 10-7

California

18-17, 6-14

Oregon

California

Photo by: Hudson Downard

04/22/23 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score: California 8, #20 Oregon 6

BERKELEY, Calif. – No. 20 Oregon rallied from a four-run deficit to tie the game in the top of the sixth inning, but California answered with a two-run home run to clinch an 8-6 win in Pac-12 Conference baseball action on Saturday at Stu Gordon Stadium.

Cal (18-17, 6-14 Pac-12) tied the series with the win after Oregon (25-12, 10-7 Pac-12) won the series opener on Friday.

How It Happened: Cal jumped in front early for the second-straight day scoring in the second inning, this time getting three runs off Oregon starter Logan Mercado.

The Ducks cut the lead to a run in the top of the fourth inning scoring a pair on two-out runs. After Sabin Ceballos led off the inning with a single and moved to second on a Bennett Thompson hit-by-pitch, freshman Anson Aroz delivered a two-strike base hit to score Ceballos. Gavin Grant followed with an infield single to plate Thompson.

The Golden Bears pushed the lead to four with three more runs in their half of the fourth but the Ducks would answer with four runs to tie the game in the top of the sixth.

Thompson sparked the rally with a one-out double and scored on an Aroz home run over the left-field wall. It was Aroz's first career homer.

From long ball to the short game, Oregon kept the pressure on with both Grant and Rikuu Nishida reaching base on back-to-back bunt singles after the Aroz home run. After the two bunt singles, Oregon put Grant and Nishida in motion with a double steal that ended with both scoring after Cal threw the ball into the left-field corner trying to get Grant at third.

Cal responded in the eighth with a two-run homer to regain the lead.

Box Score Notes: Oregon stranded 10 runners on base, including leaving the bases loaded in the fourth and sixth innings … Tanner Smith started his 200th consecutive game … The second-longest streak in school history is 137 games (Gabe Matthews; 2017-19) … Aroz made his first career start and reached base his first three plate appearances (HBP, 1B, HR) … Aroz is the 14th different Duck to hit a home run this season, the most in school history … Nishida swiped his 16th bag of the season moving into a tie for third on the Oregon single-season all-time list with Colby Shade (2022), Scott Heineman (2015), Aaron Payne (2012 and 2013) and Caleb Tommisini (2009).

On Deck: Oregon and California will wrap up the series on Sunday at Stu Gordon Stadium. First pitch is at 12:05 p.m.