PULLMAN, Wash. – Washington State scored three runs in the seventh inning but Oregon pushed five runs across in the tenth inning to post an 8-3 victory in the Pac-12 Conference series-opener at Bailey-Brayton Field Friday evening.
The Cougars (25-22, 8-14 Pac-12) took a 3-2 lead in the seventh inning but Oregon (28-21, 10-12 Pac-12) tied the game with one run in the eighth and later scored five runs in the tenth. Derek Chapman, Cameron Frost, Ben Roberts and Jack Strunc each notched two hits for Washington State who used seven pitchers in the game.
Oregon opened the scoring in the second on a Daniel Patzlaff sacrifice fly to center, scoring Phil Craig-St. Louis, who began the inning with a walk.
In the third, Chapman pushed his hitting streak to seven games as his single to right looked to score Ben Roberts from second. A strong throw from Duck right fielder Jakob Goldfarb was in time to get Roberts at home and keep Oregon's lead at 1-0.
The Cougars received a boost from its bullpen in the fifth as lefthander Matt Bower worked out of a bases loaded jam with a strikeout and a groundout to keep the Oregon lead at 1-0.
Washington State put two runners on in the bottom of the seventh as Shea Donlin reached after drawing a one-out walk and Roberts followed with opposite-field single through the left side to put runners on first and second. Strunc jumped on the first pitch from Oregon reliever Cooper Stiles and lined a single to right field, scoring Donlin from second and moving Roberts around to third. Chapman followed with RBI-groundout to score Roberts and tie the game at two. With two outs and Strunc on second base, pinch-hitter Cooper Elliott pulled a 3-2 pitch deep into the right centerfield gap to score Strunc and give the Cougars a 3-2 lead.
Oregon came right back in the top of the eighth inning, putting the first two runners on after a base hit and a hit-by-pitch. The Cougars went to the bullpen with lefthander Layne Bruner and picked up an out after the Ducks bunted the runners up to second and third. Following an intentional walk to load the bases, the Ducks tied the game with a sacrifice fly. WSU right-handed reliever Ryan Walker entered the game and ended the inning with a groundout.
Washington State tried to answer in the bottom of the eighth as Frost led off the inning with a bloop single to left center and then moved up to second on a Patrick McGrath sacrifice bunt. Donlin followed with a line-drive single to centerfield to put runners on the corners with one out but Oregon ended the Cougar threat with a pair of strikeouts.
WSU put together another threat in the ninth inning after Chapman started the frame with an opposite-field single down the left field line and moved to second after a sacrifice bunt from Elliott. Chapman later stole third on strikeout to put runners on the corners with two outs but Frost grounded out to third to end the inning.
Oregon broke through in the tenth, using a bunt single, a walk, a sacrifice bunt, another walk, and a bases-loaded pinch-hit single to take a 4-3 lead. The next batter drew a walk to force home another run before an error allowed another Oregon run to score. The Ducks added two more runs in the inning and held on for an 8-3 victory.
Oregon reliever Stephen Nogosek picked up the win to improve to 5-1 after tossing two scoreless innings while reliever Scotty Sunitsch (0-3) took the loss for the Cougars after allowing three runs to score, two of which were earned.
The series continues Saturday at 7 p.m. on the Pac-12 Networks.
