Ducks Hold Off Trojans To Clinch Series

Saturday, March 8

Irvine, Calif.

2:05 p.m.

University of Oregon

13-2, 2-0

USC

9-5, 0-2

Oregon

USC

Photo by: Zoe Rivers

03/08/25 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score: #10 Oregon 8, USC 6 Photo Gallery

Irvine, Calif. — No. 10 Oregon built a big early lead against USC and then held on for an 8-6 Big Ten Conference win at Great Park on Saturday afternoon.

The Ducks (13-2, 2-0 Big Ten) clinched the series win and will look for the sweep against USC (9-5, 0-2 Big Ten) on Sunday.

The Ducks scored eight runs in the first five innings to build an 8-0 lead but couldn't muster any offense over the final four innings. USC rallied with four runs in its half of the fifth inning and tacked on two more in the seventh to make things interesting late.

Oregon relievers Santiago Garcia and Cole Stokes combined to toss the final three innings. The two fanned eight Trojan hitters. Stokes relieved Garcia with a runner on, who reached on an error, and one out in the bottom of the eighth. Stokes allowed a single before a sacrifice bunt put the tying run at second. After a walk loaded the bases, Stokes got a ground ball to the right side that second baseman Ryan Cooney made a sliding stop before spinning and throwing to first to leave the bases loaded and end the inning.

Stokes fanned the first two batters he faced in the ninth before a pair of walks brought the winning run to the plate. Stokes then struck out Kade Higgins to end the game.

How It Happened: Oregon jumped out early on the Trojans for the second consecutive day. After Anson Aroz reached on an error and moved to second on a passed ball, Maddox Molony gave UO the lead with a single to left scoring Aroz.

It did not stay a one-run game for long. After a one-out single by Mason Neville, Dominic Hellman clubbed a two-run home run over the left-field fence for a 3-0 lead.

Oregon continued to put pressure on USC putting five runs on the board in the fifth. Neville led off the inning with a walk and moved to second on a Hellman base hit up the middle before scoring on a Jacob Walsh double. Aroz followed with a two-run double up the first-base line scoring Hellman and Walsh, before scoring himself on a Jeffery Heard single. Burke-Lee Mabeus capped the scoring when he trotted home on a Cooney sacrifice fly.

Box Score Notes: Oregon has won 10 straight games for the first time since May 19-June 9, 2023 … Walsh's third inning hit was the 200th of his career … Hellman's home run was his sixth in Oregon's last six games … Santiago picked up his first career win (2.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 5 K) … Stokes got his first career save (1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 3 K).

On Deck: Oregon will look for the series sweep on Sunday. First pitch is at 12:02 p.m. at Great Park in Irvine.