Oregon responds in emphatic fashion behind total team performance vs USC

After a heartbreaking loss in extra innings on Thursday Night, Oregon had a quick turnaround on hand as they looked to force a Saturday rubber match against the USC Trojans. Given that the Ducks rank 16th in the country and USC ranks 17th in the country, winning the series is critical for NCAA Tournament and Big Ten Tournament seeding.

The task for the Ducks was just as daunting as the challenge on Thursday Night as Grant Govel has been one of the best pitchers in the country. This time around, Oregon decided to get involved much sooner on offense.

In the second inning, it looked like Oregon might be on the ropes once again as USC used a leadoff triple, a walk, and a pair of singles to take an early 2-0 lead.

It took until the 9th inning for Oregon's offense to come alive on Thursday Night, and on Friday the Ducks came alive in the 4th inning with some help from USC's defense. A throwing error and a walk set the Ducks up to take the lead on a 3 run blast by Brayden Jaksa.

Just 4 pitches later, the fans were given another reason to celebrate as Junior Lauaki went back-to-back with Jaksa on a 426 foot bomb to straightaway center.

Once the Ducks took the 2-run lead, it was all about protecting the buffer for as long as possible. Jack Brooks kept the lead at 2 with an incredible home run robbery which he'll almost certainly get to watch again later tonight on SportsCenter's Top 10 plays of the day.

The top of the 7th inning became a pivotal point in the game for the Ducks as USC could have quickly flipped the game. USC went on a 1 out rally as a pair of singles and a walk loaded the bases, putting all the pressure on the Ducks. Collin Clarke was able to help clean up the mess, getting the 2nd out with a strikeout before Luke Morgan got a quick flyout to left field to leave the bases loaded.

Devin Bell was the next pitcher thrust into a high-leverage situation as he was thrust into action in the 8th inning with 2 runners on and just one out, which was made even tougher when he hit a batter with his first pitch. Bell was able to induce a ground ball and a strikeout, limiting the damage to just 1 run, allowing the bullpen to take a deep breath.

In the 9th inning, Devin Bell looked far more comfortable, quickly putting the Trojans down in order to secure the win.

After Oregon put a ton of miles on the bullpen, the Ducks needed serious length out of Will Sanford. The 2nd inning could've derailed Sanford's start, but he bounced back and delivered 6 innings while allowing just 2 runs and 4 batters to reach, making life easier on Coach Wasikowski.

The offense didn't have its best night, but it took advantage and struck when it had the chance in the 4th inning. In these bigger games, Oregon will need more than the 4 hits they had on Friday Night, but when you get a 3 run home run as well as a solo shot, you're making the most of your opportunities.

Just like we saw last weekend, after taking a series-opening loss, Oregon responded in a big way, which will be important over the next few weeks in tournament play. The win now sets up for a major rubber match on Saturday, as the winner will be in a great position to host a regional, while the loser will have some major work to do in the Big Ten Tournament.

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