Ducks Rally Falls Short in Extra Innings Loss

Sunday, March 22

Eugene, Ore.

12:05 p.m.

University of Oregon

19-4, 7-2

Northwestern

8-11-1, 2-4

Northwestern

Oregon

Photo by: David Hammel

03/22/26 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score: Northwestern 11, #21 Oregon 10 (12)Photo Gallery

EUGENE, Ore. — Oregon rallied from an 8-run deficit to send the game into extra innings, but Northwestern scored a run in the top of the 12th inning to salvage a game in the series with a 12-11 win at PK Park on Sunday afternoon.

After Oregon fell behind 10-2 after five innings, Dominic Hellman homered twice to pull the Ducks within one run in the seventh inning. Ryan Cooney completed the comeback with a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the ninth inning and send the game into extra innings.

The Ducks (19-4, 7-2) had chance to win the game in extra innings. Oregon got two on with one out in the 10th inning but failed to score after a strikeout and flyout. Oregon loaded the bases in the 10th inning after a double and two intentional walks but the Wildcats escaped with a strikeout and a ground out.

After Northwestern scored a run in the 12th inning, the Ducks had chances to tie it in their half of the inning. Naulivou Lauaki reached first to lead off the inning after being hit by a pitch, but NU turned a double play to get within an out of the win. Oregon responded with a Cooney single and a Jax Gimenez bunt single to put runners on first and second, but Wildcat pitcher Justin Fryer fanned Hellman to end the game.

How It Happened: For the third straight day, Oregon put runs on the board in the first inning. Northwestern issued a couple free passes to Cooney and Gimenez to lead off the inning and Hellman made them pay. The Ducks' designated hitter singled through the right side, scoring Cooney and moving Gimenez to third. Drew Smith followed with a sacrifice fly for a 2-0 lead.

The Wildcats (8-11-1, 2-4) took their first lead of the series, scoring three runs in the top of the second, before sending nine batters to the plate in the fourth to push the lead to 6-2. A pair of homers, a solo shot and a three-run home run, in the fifth pushed the lead to 10-2.

Oregon got a pair back in the bottom of the sixth inning. After Cooney doubled to lead off the inning, Hellman lined a two-run home run over the left-field wall to cut the lead to 10-4.

The Ducks cut the lead to one in the seventh, scoring five times. Burke-Lee Mabeus and Gabe Miranda drew back-to-back walks to open the inning before Josh Schleichardt delivered an RBI single to score Mabeus. Gimenez followed suit with an RBI base hit of his own to cut the lead to four.

Hellman stepped to the plate with runners and first and second and lined a homer over the right-center field wall for his second home run of the game. Cooney then tied it in the ninth with a leadoff home run.

Hellman finished 3-for-6 with six RBI and two runs scored. Cooney went 4-for-6 with a home run, double and three runs scored. Blake Crawford (1.1 IP, H, 2 BB), Luke Morgan (3.1 IP, 2 H, 5 K) and Tanner Bradley (1.1 IP, 1 H, 3 K) combined to toss six innings of scoreless allow the Ducks to send the game into extra innings.

Box Score Notes: Oregon scored 14 runs in the first inning in the series against Northwestern … Smith (2-for-5, RBI) extended his streak of reaching base to 23 games this season and 25 games dating back to last season … The top four – Cooney, Gimenez, Hellman and Smith -- in Oregon's order combined to go 12-for-22 with three home runs, nine RBI and seven runs scored … Hellman homered twice in a game for the fourth time in his career with two of those coming this weekend … Hellman moved into seventh on the Ducks' career home run list with 26 passing Shaun Chase (2012-15) … Oregon had its winning streak snapped at eight.

On Deck: The Ducks hit the road for a five-game road trip in San Diego and Santa Barbara, Calif. The Ducks face UC San Diego in a pair of midweek games on Tuesday and Wednesday before opening a three-game series at UC Santa Barbara on Friday.

Quotes:

Head Coach Mark Wasikowski

On today's performance...
"I thought the guys really did a great job battling back. I thought the pitching was shaky early, and then things settled in. There were some really good relief outings. Luke Morgan was tremendous today, just flat out tremendous. And there were some other guys that threw the ball very well. We got mileage out of Blake Crawford, which was really handy, and then we just didn't have enough to be able to get it done. We had the table set a couple of different times, and we had a chance to win that ball game a couple of different times with the bats, and we just weren't able to do it. I was really impressed those guys were so resilient to grind their way back into that game after being down by so much, and then, you know, by the end of it, having opportunities to win the game. It didn't work out, and we're disappointed about that big time, but very proud of the fact that those guys were able to really fight and scratch and claw their way back into it. You know, I appreciate that effort."

On Luke Morgan...
"We've had a lot of faith and belief in Luke. He's thrown the ball very, very well in scrimmages, and we have a lot of confidence in the guy. I mean, the guy throws 95 miles per hour with a really good breaking ball and good off-speed pitches. I mean, he's tough to hit. And so, for him to get out there and go three and two-thirds and only give up two hits and not walk anybody and strike guys out like he did. I mean, he kept us in that game, right? He gave us a chance."