Sunday, March 9
Irvine, Calif.
12:05 p.m.
University of Oregon
14-2, 3-0
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9-6, 0-3
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Photo by: Zoe Rivers
Ducks Secure First Big Ten Sweep, Push Win Streak to 11
03/09/25 | Baseball
IRVINE, Calif. – No. 10 Oregon extended its winning streak to 11 games and earned its first series sweep in Big Ten Conference play with a 5-3 victory over USC at Great Park on Sunday.
The Ducks (14-2, 3-0 Big Ten) built a 3-0 lead early behind five shutout innings from starter Will Sanford, but USC (9-6, 0-3 Big Ten) rallied to even it up in the home half of sixth. UO put two more runs across in the seventh to retake the lead and the Oregon bullpen shut down a Trojan comeback.
Ryan Featherston inherited a two-out, bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the seventh and needed just one pitch to get out of it, popping up the USC batter. He allowed no hits and just one walk over the next two innings to earn his first save of the season and clinch the sweep.
Oregon's four pitchers – Sanford, Featherston, Michael Meckna and Julien Hernandez – allowed just three combined hits and struck out eight.
The Ducks' 11 game win streak is tied for the third longest in program history and one shy of the program record, set in both the 1964 and 1963 seasons.
How It Happened: The Ducks jumped on USC early once against, scoring two runs in the second inning. Maddox Molony drew a leadoff walk and Jeffery Heard was hit by a pitch before Ryan Cooney sent a single through the right side, bringing Molony home for the first run of the game. Carter Garate sent another ground ball to the right side, reaching on the fielder's choice and bringing home Heard but the Ducks could do no more damage in the frame.
Burke-Lee Mabeus started the fourth inning off with a walk and advanced to third on a double by Heard down the right field line. Cooney picked up his second RBI of the day on a sacrifice fly to right to put the Ducks up 3-0.
Sanford was dominant through the first five innings on the bump, allowing just one hit and one walk to go along with six strikeouts. He walked the first Trojan he saw in the sixth before giving up a two-run homer that brought USC back within one. After another walk, Meckna took the mound and gave up a hit to the first batter he faced. USC tied the game on a ground out to Molony at shortstop after a double steal.
With the go-ahead run on third, Meckna painted the corner for the strikeout and fired up the Oregon dugout. Mason Neville fed off that energy and started the seventh with a solo shot deep to right field, putting the Ducks back out in front. Jacob Walsh reached on a single and moved to second on a balk, scoring on a two-out single to shallow center by Moloney to make it a 5-3 ballgame.
The Trojans threatened in the home half of the inning, getting runners on second and third with two away. Featherston came in after a walk loaded the bases and pitched the pop fly to end the inning and keep USC off the board. The sophomore retired six of the next seven batters, ending the game with a strikeout.
Box Score Notes: Neville's home run was his ninth of the season … He has homered in eight of the 15 games he has played in … The home run moved him past Kenyon Yovan for sole possession of sixth in program history with 25 career homers … Meckna (1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1K) improves to 3-0 on the season … Featherston (2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K) picked up his third career save.
On Deck: The Ducks return to PK Park on Tuesday to host Grand Canyon in the first game of a two-game series (5:05 p.m., B1G+).
The Ducks (14-2, 3-0 Big Ten) built a 3-0 lead early behind five shutout innings from starter Will Sanford, but USC (9-6, 0-3 Big Ten) rallied to even it up in the home half of sixth. UO put two more runs across in the seventh to retake the lead and the Oregon bullpen shut down a Trojan comeback.
Ryan Featherston inherited a two-out, bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the seventh and needed just one pitch to get out of it, popping up the USC batter. He allowed no hits and just one walk over the next two innings to earn his first save of the season and clinch the sweep.
Oregon's four pitchers – Sanford, Featherston, Michael Meckna and Julien Hernandez – allowed just three combined hits and struck out eight.
The Ducks' 11 game win streak is tied for the third longest in program history and one shy of the program record, set in both the 1964 and 1963 seasons.
How It Happened: The Ducks jumped on USC early once against, scoring two runs in the second inning. Maddox Molony drew a leadoff walk and Jeffery Heard was hit by a pitch before Ryan Cooney sent a single through the right side, bringing Molony home for the first run of the game. Carter Garate sent another ground ball to the right side, reaching on the fielder's choice and bringing home Heard but the Ducks could do no more damage in the frame.
Burke-Lee Mabeus started the fourth inning off with a walk and advanced to third on a double by Heard down the right field line. Cooney picked up his second RBI of the day on a sacrifice fly to right to put the Ducks up 3-0.
Sanford was dominant through the first five innings on the bump, allowing just one hit and one walk to go along with six strikeouts. He walked the first Trojan he saw in the sixth before giving up a two-run homer that brought USC back within one. After another walk, Meckna took the mound and gave up a hit to the first batter he faced. USC tied the game on a ground out to Molony at shortstop after a double steal.
With the go-ahead run on third, Meckna painted the corner for the strikeout and fired up the Oregon dugout. Mason Neville fed off that energy and started the seventh with a solo shot deep to right field, putting the Ducks back out in front. Jacob Walsh reached on a single and moved to second on a balk, scoring on a two-out single to shallow center by Moloney to make it a 5-3 ballgame.
The Trojans threatened in the home half of the inning, getting runners on second and third with two away. Featherston came in after a walk loaded the bases and pitched the pop fly to end the inning and keep USC off the board. The sophomore retired six of the next seven batters, ending the game with a strikeout.
Box Score Notes: Neville's home run was his ninth of the season … He has homered in eight of the 15 games he has played in … The home run moved him past Kenyon Yovan for sole possession of sixth in program history with 25 career homers … Meckna (1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1K) improves to 3-0 on the season … Featherston (2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K) picked up his third career save.
On Deck: The Ducks return to PK Park on Tuesday to host Grand Canyon in the first game of a two-game series (5:05 p.m., B1G+).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Meckna, Michael (3-0)
L: Govel, Grant (1-1)
S: Featherston, Ryan (1)
Batting:
2B: Walsh, Jacob 1 ; Heard, Jeffery 1
HR: Neville, Mason 1
RBI: Neville, Mason 1 ; Molony, Maddox 1 ; Cooney, Ryan 2 ; Garate, Carter 1
SF: Cooney, Ryan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Neville, Mason 1 ; Walsh, Jacob 1 ; Molony, Maddox 1 ; Mabeus, Burke-Lee 1 ; Heard, Jeffery 1
CS: Cooney, Ryan 1
HBP: Heard, Jeffery 1
Batting:
2B: Lopez, Adrian 1
HR: Dowd, Brayden 1
RBI: Dowd, Brayden 2 ; Basseer, Jack 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Dowd, Brayden 1 ; Hedges, Ethan 1 ; Tejeda, Richard 1
SB: Hedges, Ethan 1 ; Lopez, Adrian 1
HBP: Covarrubias, Abbrie 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
5
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
5
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
INF
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RHP
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OF
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RHP
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C
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RHP
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OF
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RHP
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1B
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