EUGENE, Ore. — No. 13 Oregon dealt No. 17 Gonzaga its first loss in 10 matches, snapping that nation's third-longest win streak in explosive fashion with a 10-3 victory Tuesday evening at PK Park.
GU (30-14) took a 3-0 lead in the third, but the Pac-12 leading Ducks (34-11) put on an offensive show in their final midweek game of the year, finishing with 12 hits and putting up 10 straight unanswered runs behind career nights from Kenyon Yovan (two hits, three RBI, two runs) and Josh Kasevich (three hits, two RBI, one run). GU didn't score again after the third, with eight runners stranded on base as Oregon maintained control late with aggressive defense.
Grayson Sterling led the way for the Bulldogs with a pair of hits and a run, while
Alex Zerfass scored two runs to go with an RBI in his first-ever start for GU. Three other Bulldogs finished with one hit to round out the offensive showing.
"Not the outcome we were hoping for tonight," said Head Coach
Mark Machtolf. "That's a good Oregon team, and I don't think we necessarily gave them our best punch. We'll learn from tonight and be ready to go Friday at home vs USF."
The Action
Oregon threatened early in the first inning, with Yovan picking up a walk and Gabe Matthews doubling to move them to third and second, respectively, but a groundout from Kasevich ended the frame without any change in the scoreboard. The Bulldogs had more luck over the next two frames seeking out runs in perilous situations.
With two outs on the board in the second, Zerfass crushed a 0-1 pitch to right center — his first hit of the season — to drive in
Grayson Sterling and
Jack Machtolf and open the scoring account with a 2-0 lead. Zeglin retired the side in order in the bottom of the frame to keep the Zags rolling going into the third.
Another huge two-out RBI double came next, with
Tyler Rando finding space in center field to bring Harris home for run No. 3. But this time, the Ducks were able to respond in the bottom of the inning, picking up four runs off a two-run homer from Yovan, a single from Kasevich and an RBI flyout from Anthony Hall to take their first lead. RHP
Jacob Rutherford entered the game in relief that frame to replace Zeglin, who exited the game after being struck by a line drive.
After a scoreless fourth, Oregon tacked on a fifth run in the bottom of the fifth when Kasevich stole home, evading a putout attempt from Rando to push the lead to two. The Ducks kept rolling in the sixth, putting up five more runs in a six-hit frame that turned the game on its head.
Reliever
Daniel Naughton entered the game next and was commanding for two frames, holding Oregon's lineup scoreless in the seventh and eighth without giving up a hit.
Ryan Sullivan and
Guthrie Morrison got on board with a walk and a fielder's choice — both with two outs on the board — but Harris flew out to end the game before the Zags could produce a run.
Next Up
The Zags resume West Coast Conference action this weekend with a three-game series in Spokane against third-place San Francisco (21-25, 15-9 WCC), starting on Friday. The Dons defeated San Jose State 9-8 in a nonconference midweek matchup earlier Tuesday, and are winners of their last three WCC series.
Follow the Game
Friday's and Saturday's games are slated for a 6 p.m. first pitch, with Sunday's matchup starting at noon. Live streaming will be available via the WCC Network. Check GoZags.com for up-to-date game day information, live stats and more.
