Ducks rally to tie series with USC
05/06/23 | Baseball
LOS ANGELES — No. 17 Oregon scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh to rally to beat USC 7-5 on Saturday night at Dedeaux Field and even the series with the Trojans in Pac-12 Conference play.
Reigning Pac-12 Conference Player of the Week Drew Cowley went 2-for-5 with a double, three RBI and two runs scored while Sabin Ceballos added three hits including a home run to lead Oregon to the win.
How It Happened: Ceballos put the Ducks on top early blasting a solo home run over the left-field wall for his team-tying best 12th homer of the season.
USC responded with long balls of its own hitting a solo homer in the bottom of the second and two more in the third for a 3-1 lead.
It stayed that way until the sixth when Oregon (31-15, 14-9) scored a pair of runs to tie the game. Cowley picked up his first RBI of the night, driving in Colby Shade who led off the inning with an infield single and moved to second base on a Trojans' throwing error.
Cowley, who moved to second on an error by the right fielder and to third on Ceballos' third hit of the game, tied the game when Tanner Smith grounded into a double play.
USC (26-20-1, 12-11 Pac-12) regained the lead with two runs in its half of the sixth, but Oregon responded with four runs in the seventh.
Freshman Drew Smith, making just his seventh career start, sparked the rally with a leadoff double. Pinch hitter Tyler Ganus walked before Gavin Grant moved the runners to second and third with a sacrifice bunt.
After a force play at home retired Drew Smith on a Rikuu Nishida hot shot right at the shortstop, Shade walked to load the bases. Cowley delivered a two-out, two-strike laser down the third base line tying the game at five. Tanner Smith followed with a two-RBI double that found the right-center field gap to put UO up 7-5.
The Ducks' bullpen took it from there. Matt Dallas (6-1) retired all three batters he faced in the bottom of the seventh. Freshman Grayson Grinsell, who relieved Dallas with a runner on first and no one out in the eighth, sandwiched strikeouts around a fly out against the three batters he faced.
Closer Josh Mollerus picked up his eighth save of the season with a 1-2-3 ninth inning that included a pair of strikeouts.
Box Score Notes: Tanner Smith made his 229th career start, tying J.J. Altobelli (2010-13) for the most in school history … Shade started his 100th career game … Ceballos' second-inning home run ran Oregon's streak to 16 consecutive games with a homer dating back to game two of the San Francisco midweek series on April 12 … He moved into a six-way tie for sixth all-time in single-season home runs at Oregon … Ceballos (3-for-4, HR, RBI) had his 14th multiple-hit game of the season … Cowley has recorded multiple hits in 18 of his last 31 games and has reached base multiple times in 25 of the 31 … Cowley's three RBI gave him 51 for the season, the sixth most in a single season in Oregon history … Ceballos' RBI gave him 48, which is the ninth most in a season … Mollerus moved into a tie with Kellen Moen for ninth on the Ducks' single-season saves list … Drew Smith's doubled in the seventh gave him a hit in all seven of his starts this season.
On Deck: Oregon and USC play the rubber match at 12:05 p.m. on Sunday.
Reigning Pac-12 Conference Player of the Week Drew Cowley went 2-for-5 with a double, three RBI and two runs scored while Sabin Ceballos added three hits including a home run to lead Oregon to the win.
How It Happened: Ceballos put the Ducks on top early blasting a solo home run over the left-field wall for his team-tying best 12th homer of the season.
USC responded with long balls of its own hitting a solo homer in the bottom of the second and two more in the third for a 3-1 lead.
It stayed that way until the sixth when Oregon (31-15, 14-9) scored a pair of runs to tie the game. Cowley picked up his first RBI of the night, driving in Colby Shade who led off the inning with an infield single and moved to second base on a Trojans' throwing error.
Cowley, who moved to second on an error by the right fielder and to third on Ceballos' third hit of the game, tied the game when Tanner Smith grounded into a double play.
USC (26-20-1, 12-11 Pac-12) regained the lead with two runs in its half of the sixth, but Oregon responded with four runs in the seventh.
Freshman Drew Smith, making just his seventh career start, sparked the rally with a leadoff double. Pinch hitter Tyler Ganus walked before Gavin Grant moved the runners to second and third with a sacrifice bunt.
After a force play at home retired Drew Smith on a Rikuu Nishida hot shot right at the shortstop, Shade walked to load the bases. Cowley delivered a two-out, two-strike laser down the third base line tying the game at five. Tanner Smith followed with a two-RBI double that found the right-center field gap to put UO up 7-5.
The Ducks' bullpen took it from there. Matt Dallas (6-1) retired all three batters he faced in the bottom of the seventh. Freshman Grayson Grinsell, who relieved Dallas with a runner on first and no one out in the eighth, sandwiched strikeouts around a fly out against the three batters he faced.
Closer Josh Mollerus picked up his eighth save of the season with a 1-2-3 ninth inning that included a pair of strikeouts.
Box Score Notes: Tanner Smith made his 229th career start, tying J.J. Altobelli (2010-13) for the most in school history … Shade started his 100th career game … Ceballos' second-inning home run ran Oregon's streak to 16 consecutive games with a homer dating back to game two of the San Francisco midweek series on April 12 … He moved into a six-way tie for sixth all-time in single-season home runs at Oregon … Ceballos (3-for-4, HR, RBI) had his 14th multiple-hit game of the season … Cowley has recorded multiple hits in 18 of his last 31 games and has reached base multiple times in 25 of the 31 … Cowley's three RBI gave him 51 for the season, the sixth most in a single season in Oregon history … Ceballos' RBI gave him 48, which is the ninth most in a season … Mollerus moved into a tie with Kellen Moen for ninth on the Ducks' single-season saves list … Drew Smith's doubled in the seventh gave him a hit in all seven of his starts this season.
On Deck: Oregon and USC play the rubber match at 12:05 p.m. on Sunday.
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