Oregon notches series win over Cal, gains ground in Pac-12 standings
The Oregon Ducks entered the weekend with an opportunity to solidify their place in the Pac-12 standings and did exactly that.
On Sunday, the Ducks notched a 9-3 win over the Cal Golden Bears at Stu Gordon Stadium in Berkeley to capture a series victory.
With the win, No. 23-ranked Oregon improved to 26-11 on the year and 11-6 in Pac-12 play. Cal, meanwhile, dropped to 17-18 on the year and 5-15 in conference play.
After winning Friday’s opener behind a strong showing from ace righty Jace Stoffal, the Ducks dropped Saturday’s game in head-scratching fashion, in large part, because they left 10 runners on base.
On Sunday, though, they bounced back with a dynamic offensive performance that was led by the top of the Ducks’ batting order.
Leadoff man Rikuu Nishida launched a solo homer in the ninth inning. Colby Shade went 3-for-5 with a triple, and Drew Cowley and Tanner Smith each went 2-for-5 and scored twice.
Reserve catcher Bennett Thompson got the starting nod on Sunday and went 1-for-3 with two RBI and a double.
The Ducks tallied 14 total hits, with nine different players contributing to the total.
Oregon ambushed Cal starter Connor Sullivan for three runs in the fourth inning and chased him one inning later when Shade cracked a leadoff triple.
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In the top of the ninth, they put the game out of reach for good with a four-run frame that featured run-scoring hits from Nishida, Smith, Cowley, and Jacob Walsh.
Freshman right-hander Matthew Grabmann produced his best start of the season and tossed 4.0 inning while surrendering one run on four hits and striking out three.
Tanner Spoljaric, Austin Anderson, and Matt Dallas all had solid relief outings before the Ducks turned the ball over to closer Josh Mollerus in the ninth with a 9-2 lead.
Mollerus, who boasts a 1.64 ERA on the season, surrendered a solo homer to Cal’s star catcher, Caleb Lomavita in the bottom of the ninth. After that, though, he buckled down and retired the next three batters he faced to end the game.
The Ducks will look to stay hot this week amidst a difficult five-game stretch. They will host Gonzaga for a two-game series at PK Park in Eugene on Tuesday and Wednesday, with each game set for a 5:05 p.m. PT first pitch.
Then, Oregon will host No. 19 Arizona State for a three-game set in Eugene.
The Sun Devils have consistently been one of the Pac-12’s best teams this season and sat in second in the conference standings at the time of publication.
