Ducks Homer Four Times In Series-Clinching Win

Sunday, April 19

Champaign, Ill.

11:00 a.m.

University of Oregon

28-11, 0

Illinois

20-18, 0

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Oregon	1	0	0	0	3	2	4	1	0	11	15	0
Illinois	0	2	0	0	1	1	0	0	1	5	8	0

Photo by: Zoe Rivers

04/19/26 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score: #19 Oregon 11, Illinois 5

Champaign, Ill. — Ryan Cooney hit two of No. 19 Oregon's four home runs to lead the Ducks to a series win at Illinois on Sunday with a 11-5 Big Ten Conference win at Illinois Field.

Cooney went 3-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored leading Oregon to their 21st series win in the last two seasons covering a span of 23 weeks.

How It Happened: Oregon (28-11, 12-6 Big Ten) jumped on top early scoring a run in the top of the first. Jax Gimenez led off the inning with a double over the third-base bag before scoring on a Brayden Jaksa base hit to center field.

Illinois (20-18, 8-10 Big Ten) answered with a pair of runs in the second inning to take the lead, but Oregon took the lead back with three solo home runs in the top of the fifth. Ryan Cooney led off the frame with a line drive over the left-field wall, before Naulivou Lauaki Jr. and Maddox Molony went back-to-back with both homers off the TV tower just to the left of the batter's eye.

The Fighting Illini hit a solo home run of their own in the bottom of the inning to chase Oregon starter Miles Gosztola after he followed the homer with a four-pitch walk.

Oregon tacked on two runs in the sixth inning. After Jaksa reached for the third time in the game on a walk, Cooney went yard in the second consecutive inning for a 6-3 lead.

Illinois cut it to two in the sixth, but Oregon answered with four runs in the top of the seventh. Gimenez came through with the bases loaded, ripping a one-out triple that scored all three runners. The Ducks' right-fielder then scored on a wild pitch to make it 10-4.

The Ducks tacked on an insurance run in the eighth. After hits by Drew Smith and Lauaki put runners at the corners, Molony drove in a run on a fielder's choice for an 11-4 lead.

Box Score Notes: Molony homered in all three games of the series to run his career total to 33 home runs … The back-to-back homers by Lauaki and Molony were the first back-to-back homers since Jaksa and Cooney did it against Nebraska on April 10 … The three home runs in an inning were the first since Chase Meggers, Anson Aroz and did it in the first inning at Texas A&M on June 9, 2024 … Cooney's two home runs were his first multi-homer game of his career … Dominic Hellman made his 100th career start … Gimenez extended his reached base streak to 29 games with a leadoff double …

On Deck: The Ducks travel to Oregon State for a nonconference game on Wednesday (5:35 p.m.)

Ducks Lose at Illinois on Walk Off

Saturday, April 18

Ducks Break Out the Bats in Run-Rule Win

Friday, April 17

Ducks first pitch at Illinois today moved up to 1:32 (PT)

Thursday, April 16

Ducks-Beavers Game in Hillsboro Postponed

Monday, April 13

Next Event

Oregon State

Apr 22 (Wed)

5:35 p.m.

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Team Stats

Pitching:

W: Uelmen, Leo (1-0)

L: Sam Reed (1-1)

Oregon

Batting:

2B: Gimenez, Jax 1

3B: Gimenez, Jax 1

HR: Cooney, Ryan 2 ; Lauaki Jr., Naulivou 1 ; Molony, Maddox 1

RBI: Gimenez, Jax 3 ; Jaksa, Brayden 1 ; Cooney, Ryan 3 ; Lauaki Jr., Naulivou 1 ; Molony, Maddox 2

Base Running:

RUNS: Gimenez, Jax 2 ; Jaksa, Brayden 1 ; Cooney, Ryan 2 ; Smith, Drew 1 ; Lauaki Jr., Naulivou 1 ; Molony, Maddox 1 ; Mabeus, Burke-Lee 1 ; Hellman, Dominic 1 ; Brooks, Jack 1