Ducks Walk Off Arizona on Boettcher Squeeze Bunt

Saturday, March 23

Eugene, Ore.

2:05 PM

University of Oregon

15-6, 6-2

Arizona

9-12, 3-5

Arizona

Oregon

Photo by: Deborah Mundorff

03/23/24 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score: Oregon 3, Arizona 2 Photo Gallery

EUGENE, Ore. – Bryce Boettcher drove in pinch runner Mason Neville with a squeeze bunt in the bottom of the ninth to give Oregon a walk-off 3-2 win over Arizona on Saturday at PK Park in Pac-12 Conference action.

Boettcher, who homered earlier in the game, factored in all three of Oregon's runs in the win that clinched the weekend series for the Ducks.

How It Happened: Anson Aroz started the ninth-inning rally, reaching first on a one-out hit-by-pitch before Neville pinch ran for him at first. Pinch hitter Chase Meggers followed with a double into the right-field corner that moved Neville to third. Three pitches later, Boettcher put down the bunt and Neville raced home sliding head first to beat the tag from Arizona catcher Adonys Guzman.

Boettcher gave Oregon the early lead. After Aroz singled to lead off the second and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, Boettcher lined a 0-2 pitch over the left-field wall for a 2-0 lead.

Arizona tied the game with single runs in both the fifth and the seventh, with that latter coming on a check-swing double that rolled inside third base and into shallow left field.

Oregon got another good game from its pitching staff. A day after the Ducks' held Arizona's offense to one run, thee Oregon hurlers combined to allow just five hits while fanning four.

Mullan, who gave up the check swing double against the first batter he faced, rebounded to pitch two scoreless innings while picking up his fourth win of the year. Starter Grayson Grinsell allowed a run on three hits in 3.2 innings of work while reliever Michael Freund came out of the bullpen in the top of the fifth with runners on the corners and didn't allow either runner to score.

Box Score Notes: The win allowed Oregon to clinch its third Pac-12 series of the season … Oregon's pitching staff has allowed just seven runs in its current four-game winnings streak … The Ducks have won six in a row against the Wildcats while also clinching their third straight series win over Arizona … Boettcher (2-for-3, 3 RBI) had his second multiple-RBI game of the year and the sixth of his career … He also had his fifth multi-hit game of the year and the 10th of his career … Oregon is 2-1 in one-run games.

On Deck: Oregon will look for the series sweep on Sunday with a 12:05 p.m. first pitch at PK Park.

Quotes:

Head Coach Mark Wasikowski

On Bryce Boettcher being back in the lineup:
"He's a presence. Other than the fact that he was excellent on the squeeze, excellent on the home run. You know, we scored three runs, he was a part of all three of them with three RBI on the day. And probably his best play was just the hustle play on the ball in the left-field corner where he got a very good relay from the left fielder, the shortstop threw him out at home. Probably the best play he had was he didn't take a swing after the contact. Bryce is a competitive guy, and in football you probably have swings in there. You know, that's probably what you do on the football field. You can't do that on the baseball field. He had a great amount of poise in that situation.

On Boettcher being sent home in the seventh inning:
"It took a great relay throw. So you pressure the opponent when you can, especially with two outs. Loved it."

On Bradley Mullan back-to-back days:
"He's a stud. He's old. He's been through it, he's had good days, bad days and it doesn't faze him when he has a negative thing happen. He's just under control, he's an old guy. And with a young group having an old guy with good, relaxed eyes is really important."

Bradley Mullan

On mentality after giving up a weak double:
"It like control what I can control. I can't control the guy hitting the ball, I can't control where it goes. I can only control the pitch and that was a pretty good pitch right there and some stuff like that is going to happen. Then eighth inning kind of rewards me, the ball is probably a hit 115 off me right to Cooney at short and get the double play. So as coach says, game knows. That's how it is, baseball is a weird sport where things get rewarded, sometimes stuff that's really good doesn't. So it's just part of the game, it's going to happen, I have to expect it and made adjustments throughout the game and deal with it."

On what it means to pitch two consecutive days:
"I'm obviously honored, I mean Coach Waz has been fantastic. This whole staff, got great teammates. Like I said, it's been life changing to be a part of this team. I've kind of come to the realization whatever the team needs, I'm going to do. Just be the dugout cheerleader, I'll do that. And I trust the staff, the decisions that they make because they know how to win. They're winners and they want to go to war with us. So if coach needs me, I'll do it. I believe in him and if he believes in me, that's all the confidence I need. When I'm in these situations they don't really doubt me, that's a really good feeling to have, that they want me in situations like that. I'm just honored because this team is really deep. It's really talented and it's a great group of guys chemistry-wise."

Chase Meggers

On making the most of limited at-bats:
"I don't really think of it like that. When I get my opportunity, I'm just going to make the most of it. Whatever happens, happens. I try to go up there and think, barrel the baseball, whatever happens, happens, and whenever I get an opportunity I'll do what I do."

Bryce Boettcher

On getting the call for the squeeze in the ninth:
"I just trust in skip, he's been around a lot of baseball and seen a lot of games. Neville on third, he's really fast, so I was like 'Hell yeah, let's do it. Let's get it done and execute it well, Neville's fast.'"

On being back in the lineup after a week off:
"You don't realize how much you love the game until you're off, granted it was only a week and a half, that we can have seeing your guys out there without you. And obviously, it is fun to be around them, but it's a different feeling when you're in the game. So I came out hungry, mentally, and just to be with my guys again and get a couple of wins. Yeah, I really missed it, and looking forward to tomorrow"