Oregon Ducks Defeat Stanford
The 16th ranked Oregon Ducks defeated the 6th ranked Stanford Cardinals 4-2 in ten innings yesterday at Sunken Diamond. The teams combined for five errors with the Ducks scoring three runs in the top of the tenth inning off three errors by the Cardinals. Losing pitcher Stephen Piscotty, catcher Eric Smith and right fielder Austin Wilson all committed errors in the final inning allowing the Ducks to win the first game of the series.
Senior right hander Alex Keudell matched up with Stanford starter Mark Appel (pictured below) in a pitching duel as both hurlers went nine innings.
Keudell allowed only five hits and one earned run over his outing with seven strikeouts. Appel had an unusual line striking out 13 Ducks but also giving up ten hits.
The Oregon Ducks jumped out front to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning with an RBI single by first baseman Ryon Healy. The run was made possible as Stephen Piscotty was playing third base at the time and committed a throwing error which allowed Duck right fielder Aaron Jones to reach base and he would come around on Healy’s single.
Stanford would go scoreless until the bottom of the sixth inning when Piscotty atoned for his earlier error with a RBI double that scored Austin Wilson to tie the game. Piscotty had three hits and both RBI’s for Stanford.
Second In a crazy top of the tenth inning, Stephen Piscotty moved from third base to the mound. Austin Wilson misplayed a ball by the Duck’s Kyle Garlick that resulted in a two base error. With runners on first and third, Connor Hoffman of Oregon bunted a ball that Piscotty threw away resulting in the second Duck run and his second error.
Piscotty next threw a wild pitch allowing the third run to score and in the same sequence, catcher Eric Smith threw the ball down the third baseline trying to pick off Hoffman who had slipped rounding third base. Hoffman came in on the final error for the fourth run.
Sophomore Oregon Duck closer Jimmie Sherfy recorded his eighth save of the season giving up one run on one hit and two walks in the bottom of the tenth inning.
With the win, Oregon improved to 23-9 (9-4 in the Pac-12) and Stanford fell to 21-8 (4-6 in the Pac-12). The teams meet again today in the middle game of three-game set at 1:00 pm PT.
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