Ducks Score Three in Ninth for Comeback Win

Saturday, March 9

Phoenix, Ariz.

5:35 PM

University of Oregon

10-4, 1-1

Arizona State

7-7, 1-1

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Oregon	0	1	0	0	2	0	0	0	3	6	9	4
Arizona State	0	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	8	1

Photo by: Hudson Downard

03/09/24 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score: Oregon 6, Arizona State 4

PHOENIX — Jeffery Heard knows how to celebrate his birthday. The Ducks' designated hitter hit a go-ahead two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning to lead Oregon to a 6-4 Pac-12 Conference win against Arizona State at Phoenix Municipal Stadium on Saturday night.

Oregon (10-4, 1-1 Pac-12) entered the ninth inning trailing by a run after neither team scored a run after the fifth inning. Drew Smith gave Oregon some much-needed energy when he doubled into the left-field corner with one out in the inning.

Heard followed hitting the second pitch he saw from Arizona State closer Cole Carlon over the left-center field wall to put the Ducks on top 5-4.

The Ducks added to the lead. Bennett Thompson followed the homer with a single three pitches later and then proceeded to steal both second and third base. Freshman Maddox Molony, who entered the game in the eighth inning as a pinch runner, delivered an RBI single to give the Ducks a two-run lead.

ASU (7-7, 1-1 Pac-12) got a one-out single from former Duck Josiah Cromwick in the ninth before and error put runners on first and second while bringing the winning run to the plate with one out.

Bradley Mullan was not phased. Working his third inning out of the bullpen, Mullan (3-0) retired the final two batters on a fly ball to right and a pop out that Jacob Walsh caught on the mound to clinch the win.

How It Happened: Oregon took the early lead scoring a run in the top of the second inning. After Walsh singled and moved to second on a Ryan Cooney ground out, Bryce Boettcher picked up the RBI with a hot shot back up the middle.

Arizona State rallied with a pair of runs in both the third and fourth innings to take a three-run lead. Three of those runs came on solo home runs, while the fourth came on a Ducks' throwing error.

Oregon cut into the lead in the fifth. Anson Aroz slugged his first home run of the season, a one-out shot over the center-field wall. The Ducks added another run later in the inning when Walsh singled and drove in Smith to make it a one-run game.

Box Score Notes: Heard's hit was his first of the series after saw his 12-game hitting streak snapped in game one of the series … Oregon's bullpen duo of Mullan and Brock Moore combined for five scoreless innings while allowing just two hits and two walks with four Ks … Smith (2-for-5, R) had his 17th career multi-hit game … While the Ducks committed four errors, Carter Garate made a pair of bare handed plays at first while Boettcher made a diving play in left-center in the top of bottom of the ninth after throwing a runner out at the plate in the fourth … Molony's RBI single came on his first career at-bat.

On Deck: The Ducks and Sun Devils play the rubber match in their three-game series on Sunday. First pitch is 12:05 p.m.