An incredible season for the Oregon Ducks comes to a bitter close losing in game seven of the Eugene regional to LSU 9-8 Monday night. The win-or-go-home game was certainly jam-packed with drama until the last swing of the bat. In the 17-run, 24-hit affair the pair of teams scored in nine of 17 innings with LSU’s three-run eighth the decider in the contest.

Gavin Dugas, who was an issue for Oregon all night long, started the scoring with a two-run blast in the first but it was all Oregon for the next four innings behind an impressive outing from surprise starter Andrew Mosiello and the bats of key Ducks. Oregon played effective small-ball baseball and then Zavala sent the crowd into a frenzy after a deep one over the left-field wall. The Tigers did not let the 5-2 hole deter them, clawing back after another Dugas homerun, Bianco finding his way home on a wild pitch, and then a Bianco bomb to left-center to give LSU a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the sixth. Every inclination of the night said the game would come down to the wire and that it did. Kenyon Yovan got out of his slump with one of the biggest hits of his career, a two-run blast to regain Oregon the lead.

Oregon Head Coach Mark Wasikowski with nine outs to go elected to go with the stud Oregon closer, Kolby Somers. It looked like the right choice initially with Somers capturing a near-perfect seventh inning resulting in 1 hit, 2 Ks, and a popout. Two Tigers quickly got on second and third in the eighth with zero outs on the board, Dugas was quickly knocked in via a fielder’s choice. The improbable happened soon as Somers was charged with a balk allowing all runners to advance including Doughty at third who was the go-ahead run making it 8-7. Oregon clawed one back in the ninth but It wasn’t enough as Sam Novitske was the final out flying out down the left-field line.

LSU, who won all four eliminations games in Eugene, will face a familiar SEC foe in Tennessee who won the Knoxville regional in a best of three series. Oregon on the other concluded their season with a 39-16 record, their best campaign since 2014.

Game Story: By: Adam Susman

Mark Wasikowski

Paul Mainieri and Full LSU Presser