Ducks pour it on late to knock off Gonzaga

Tuesday, April 25

Eugene, Ore.

5:05 PM

University of Oregon

Gonzaga

Photo by: Rob Moseley/GoDucks.com

04/25/23 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score: #20 Oregon 11, Gonzaga 4 Photo Gallery

EUGENE, Ore. – No. 20 Oregon erupted for 10 runs in its last three at-bats to rally from an early deficit to beat Gonzaga 11-4 on Tuesday night in nonconference action at PK Park.

Gonzaga (14-23) took a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the sixth inning, but Oregon (27-12) scored a run in the sixth, seven in the seventh and another two in the eighth to overcome a slow start at the plate.

How It Happened: Gonzaga took an early lead scoring a run in the top of the second inning, but the Ducks got it right back in their half of the inning. Tanner Smith lined an opposite field home run over the left-field wall to tie the game at one.

GU added single runs in the top of the third and fourth to take a two-run lead before Oregon got its offense going.

The Ducks cut the lead in half in the sixth after Rikuu Nishida walked to lead off the inning and then moved to third on Drew Cowley's first of three hits on the night. Sabin Ceballos picked up his first RBI with a long fly ball to center field that scored Nishida.

Oregon took command in the bottom of the seventh sending 12 batters to the plate against Gonzaga reliever Payton Graham (0-4). Jacob Walsh led off the inning with a walk before Tyler Ganus pinch ran for the Ducks' first baseman.

Bennett Thompson doubled into the left field corner moving Ganus to third before Bryce Boettcher drove in both runners with a single into center field. After an out, Boettcher stole second base and moved to third on a Nishida infield single.

Nishida swiped second to put two runners in scoring position before Anson Aroz walked to load the bases. Cowley picked up a pair of RBI with a base hit into right field scoring Boettcher and Nishida to make it 6-3.

It didn't stay that way for long as Ceballos doubled the lead with a three-run home run to put the Ducks ahead 9-3.

Oregon tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth. Grant doubled to lead off the inning and came around to score on an Aroz ground out. Cowley finished his big night later in the inning, blasting his seventh home run of the season.

Box Score Notes: Oregon has homered in nine straight games, the third longest streak in school history … Oregon has hit multiple homers in 19 games this season, including 13 with three-or-more long balls … Cowley (3-for-5, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R) had his 14th multiple-hit game in his last 24 games played … Thompson (3-for-4, 1 R) doubled for the fifth time in his last four starts … Ceballos (2-for-4, HR, 4 RBI, 1 R) ran his season total to 47 RBI which is tied for the eighth most all-time on the single-season list at Oregon with A.J. Balta (2015) and Dave Roberts (1972) … He also hit his 11th home run to move into a tie for 10th on the single-season homer list with Jacob Walsh (2023), Tanner Smith (2022), Ryon Healy (2013) and Keith Lampard (1956) … Smith's home run moved him into sole possession of second on the career list with 28 … He needs three more to set a new school record … Nishida's stolen base gives him 17 for the season, tied for second on the single-season list with Aaron Payne (2014) … He needs two more to break the long time record of 18 set by Dan Banderas in 1965.

On Deck: Oregon and Gonzaga wrap up their two-game series on Wednesday at PK Park. First pitch is scheduled for 5:05 p.m.

Quotes:

Tanner Smith

How do you feel at the plate right now?
"Good. With an offense kind of hot as this is, it makes hitting so much more fun. That contagious feeling it's going into the box and feeling, you know, 'eight other really good hitters right next to you'."

Thoughts on that contagious feeling in the seventh-inning
"Yeah, it's just so hard to describe. You know, it seems like everybody's just dialed in on one goal and finding success."

Drew Cowley

How locked in are you at the plate right now?
"Just not trying to do too much, taking what the pitchers give me, and going on with the situation too and thinking about what could help the team. I'm just having fun and it's rewarded me lately, which is nice."

Thoughts on solo shot in the eighth
"Just looking for something to drive and was able to get a pitch and put a good swing on it, and lucky enough it got out."

Head Coach Mark Wasikowski

On what he saw overall from the team today…

"A lot of resiliency even though the arms that they threw out there today were really good arms and for our guys to continue to battle throughout the course of the game and eventually get to him there late was really really good."

On having guys who can start rallies (referencing the 7th inning)…

"Bennett (Thompson) was able to execute a slash for us and got it down in the corner and then to have a really good at bat out of (Bryce) Boettcher to be able to score a couple of guys. I thought that was a tremendous key to that inning. Things just kind of started getting going a little bit and we were able to add on a little bit as we went."

Sabin Ceballos
On what the team talked about during the 7th inning run…

"We just came together as a team. Jacob Walsh did a great job and is supposed to be that guy in the beginning coming in with a 1-2 count. He exposed that guy and then Bennett got the slash and you can see how pumped the team got afterwards."

On getting flustered after an early error and how he redeemed himself…

"Yeah I was pretty mad about it at the beginning. I was telling Jackson (Pace), 'Hey give me another one'. He was doing his job on the pitching side so he gave me a second chance to figure it out."