At the bottom of the seventh of the No. 9 ranked Oregon Ducks’ (14-2) Tuesday battle against the Grand Canyon Antelopes (12-4), Oregon found itself in trouble of losing its 11-game win streak as it was down 4-1 late.
This potent Ducks offense wasn’t going down without a fight, though. Junior third baseman Carter Garate walked on four pitches to lead-off the inning, then was able to move up to second due to a balk. Junior center fielder Mason Neville then stepped up to bat and ripped a single to right field. That single would’ve put runners on the corners with nobody out for Oregon, but players and fans instead clenched their teeth as Garate made the big turn home to try and cut the lead to two in that instant.
In a play that sucked the life out of PK Park, Garate was hosed at home after a perfect throw from the Grand Canyon right fielder, and the score remained 4-1.
“That was probably a mistake, and everybody knew that. Even coach Hinkle probably even knew that,” Oregon head coach Mark Wasikowski said. “I’ve been over there many times and made a mistake like that, he even told the team. Can’t fault him, he’s a heck of a coach, and he made one mistake today.”
Senior first baseman Jacob Walsh singled to advance Neville to third, but the Ducks couldn’t get any across in this inning. The two runners left on added to the tally of what would become 11 on the day as needed runs were left stranded throughout the game.
Oregon was coming off an impressive road series sweep the weekend before against the USC Trojans. On the other side, Grand Canyon made a sweep of its own against the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
The game started with junior left-handed starting pitcher Ian Umlandt putting up a zero, thanks to some help from senior right fielder Jeffrey Heard, who threw out a runner trying for second base.
At the bottom of the first, a sight that has become all too familiar to Oregon opponents happened again. Neville got a hold of the first pitch and just sent it over the left-center field wall. This was Neville’s 10th bomb of the season.
Innings two through seven became a pitcher’s duel from both sides. Umlandt continued his dominant efforts to start the season, but on the other side of the ball, Oregon got stuck in a cycle of getting runners on and leaving them there.
Umlandt picked up strikeout number two in the second and left the mound with fire in his emotions. In the bottom of the inning, Heard threatened by singling and stealing second. Sophomore second baseman Ryan Cooney then singled to put runners on the corners, but nothing came across.
A clutch Ducks double play ended a second and third scare in the third inning. Oregon again put pressure on Grand Canyon by putting runners on second and third themselves, but failed to score.
Umlandt struck out two more in the fourth and ended the fifth by picking up strikeout number five and letting out a roar on the mound in hopes of waking up his offense.
“He doesn’t beat himself, you have to get to him to beat him,” Wasikowski said. “For a midweek starter, or any starter at all, to go out there and basically give up one run on an entire start, that’s a good start. He gives us that pretty much every time he’s gone out there.”
This effort was not returned, though, as the offense continued to slumber in the fifth and sixth.
The seventh is when the Ducks’ lack of offense came back to bite them. The Antelopes tied it after a leadoff home run from sophomore left fielder Carson Ohland. After a double in the next at-bat, Umlandt was pulled for senior right-handed reliever Seth Mattox. Mattox would walk the first batter he saw. A sac bunt then advanced the runners to second and third. A funky pick-off attempt got away from Mattox and gave a free run to Grand Canyon and they took the lead. Left-handed junior reliever Sam Boyle then replaced Mattox and the lead was extended after an awkward half-swing from junior right fielder Josh Wakefield found grass in left field and scored the runner from third.
The bottom of the inning featured Garate getting gunned at the plate to hold the Antelopes’ lead at two and kill any threat from Oregon.
Sophomore right-handed reliever Cole Stokes took the hill in the eighth for Boyle. Stokes would give up a key insurance run for Grand Canyon after sophomore pinch hitter Cannon Peery got plunked, then came all the way around to score due to a steal and a single.
The bottom of the lineup gave Oregon a late spark in the eighth. Sophomore shortstop Maddox Molony walked on four pitches, then made it to second after Heard got hit by a pitch. Garate then lasered an opposite-field double that bounced over the wall and Molony scored from second. Heard would be stranded at third, and it was onto the ninth.
Senior right-handed reliever Jaxon Jordan took the bump in the inning. He struck out one and held the Antelopes to zero. The Ducks went quietly with their last three outs though, and the win streak was shattered as Oregon fell in Game 1 of the two-game set.
“Sometimes you don’t get to hit,” Wasikowski said. “Some of the at-bats, I thought the swings were a little bigger than we needed. We needed shorter contact type swings instead of more of a home run type of approach. These guys have been going good for quite a while. I love suiting up with them. I need to coach better.”
Neville continued his dominance in this game, going 2-5 with a homer and an RBI.
The Ducks look to nab the series split in a rematch against the Antelopes on Wednesday, Mar. 12 at 4:05 p.m.