Reitz strikes out 14 but Ducks fall at PK, 6-5

Oregon baseball dropped their opener in the Eugene Regional, losing to No. 4-seed Utah Valley 6-5 after a controversial ruling marred the 8th inning.

A review snuffed out an Oregon rally in the 8th. Umpires ruled Anson Aroz out for "malicious contact" while trying to score on a fly ball to left.

The catcher Mason Strong, who blocked the plate and missed the ball, got credit for the putout.

Oregon got a 14-strikeout performance from Jason Reitz, but a four-run Utah Valley 4th and two runs in the second did them in as the the Ducks' struggles against lefthanded pitching continued.

For the season they've hit .400 against righthanders, near the Mendoza line against Southpaws.

Jason Reitz started for the Ducks on the mound, the 6-11 righthander from San Jose, California, a pro prospect with a 96 mph fast ball. He struck out two in a 1-2-3 inning, changing speeds beautifully.

Mason Neville, in a home run drought since May 11, slumping and expanding his strike zone, took a low, outside fastball called for a strike. Another pitch on the black. The 1-2 pitch came belt high, and he ripped it the other way for a leadoff single, ending a 2-25 slump.

Hellman took a vicious cut at a fast ball inside for strike two. A tapper to third advanced Neville to second.

Walsh drilled a ball the other way down the line, sliced foul. He bounced one to third base for out two, Neville going to third.

Drew Smith up with two outs. Missed a high fast ball, 1 and 2. Took low. Took a fastball over his head, took low for ball four. That put runners on the corners for Anson Aroz.

The Ducks took big cuts in their first at bats, not quite timed up on the lefthander their first time through. Aroz pushed one out of play, then spoiled another, 1-2. He swung and missed on a fast in on his hands, two left on base.

Reitz sailed through the second, striking out two more with a live fast ball and deft change of speeds.

Molony led off the Oregon second with a sharply-hit single through the 5-6 hole. On a 3-2 Meggars took a strike at the knees, Molony thrown out at second for a double play, cut down by Wolverine catcher Mason Strong.

Cooney walked on four pitches. The count went to 3-2 on third baseman Carter Garate, the lefthander Kirk already laboring a little, 46 pitches in after two. Garate bounced out at the first base bag, 0-0 after two.

DH Brody Block drew a leadoff walk in the top of the third, the Wolverine's first base runner. A line drive into the sun proved a difficult chance for Aroz, two on and no out. Reitz got ahead of Jimmy De Anda 0-2, then wasted a pair outside and high.

Reitz missed high with a curve ball, 3-2. DeAnda ripped an RBI double into the left field corner to score Block, top of the order up and still no outs.

Leadoff hitter Luke Iverson laced a fastball into right, 2-0, runners at the corners, no outs. Reitz, struggling with his location, fooled Jayden Smith with a slow breaking ball for out No.1, Iverson taking second.

Reitz missed wide, then changed up to freeze Landon Frei, but Strong crushed a ball to left to score two more, 4-0.

Reitz had struck out five but struggled with command and suddenly Oregon found itself in a 4-0 hole to the four-seed. He set down Dominic Longo to get out of the inning.

The Ducks got back in the game with a three-run third. Jacob Walsh stroked a leadoff single then Drew Smith and Aroz blasted home runs, Smith driving in two.

Reitz put UVSU down in order in the 4th, striking out two more.

Cooney drew a one-out walk for the Ducks. A pair of flyouts left him stranded, down a run going into the 5th.

Given new life, Reitz pitched a 1-2-3 5th and struck out two more, his 10th and 11th.

In the Ducks Hellman led off with a single and went to second on a passed ball.

Reitz struck out his 12th to start the 6th, then got Strong swinging, then Longo swinging to make it 14. You could almost hear the major league scouts scribbling into their notebooks.

Still down a run, the Big Ten Champions went down in order in the sixth.

Reitz ran into trouble. He walked the leadoff hitter and hit Block to put two on quickly in the 7th. Santiago Garcia came in to pitch. A single by DeAnda scored two, 6-3.

Oregon got a one-out single by Neville in the 7th but Garate, Hellman and Walsh struck out.

Two walks for Utah Valley deepened the pickle. The Ducks went to their fourth pitcher, Tanner Bradley.

But the Ducks got out of the inning with a flyout, followed by a strike 'em out/throw 'em out double play, a strong throw from Meggars to Cooney back to Meggars thwarting the double steal.

Smith led off the 8th with a solo home run. Aroz walked, Molony singled, the tying runs on with no outs.

Chase Meggars flied to left. A collision at home plate, Aroz rocking Strong, called safe. A long conference by the umpires, Utah Valley challenging "malicious contact."

The throw went high off the glove. Strong blocked the plate, and Aroz fought for it with a shove. The review seemed interminable. Umpires ruled Aroz out for malicious contact, thrown out of the game.

The catcher blocked the plate. What was he supposed to do? A sweetheart ruling for Utah Valley. Arroz had no place to go.

Runner on first, Ryan Cooney up, two outs, a fly ball to left, boos cascading down on the umpire crew.

The review had taken seven minutes.

Tanner Bradley struck out Block swinging to start the 9th. Colyer and DeAnda grounded out.

Garate walked to lead off the 9th. Neville struck out.. A wild pitch sent Garate to second. His run didn't matter.

Hellman ripped a single to left, Walsh up, the Oregon all-time leader in home runs. A fly ball to the warning scored Garate, but the Ducks were down to their last out.

A grounder to short ended the game, 6-5 Wolverines.

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