Baseball Recap: Oregon Ducks vs Portland Pilots

The #13 Oregon Ducks played host to the Portland Pilots on Tuesday evening, looking to avenge a loss suffered earlier in the month. The Ducks kicked things off in a hurry, plating 5 quick runs and chasing the U of P starting pitcher in the first inning, but the Pilots would respond immediately, getting a pair of runs back in the top of the 2nd.

Oregon would score two more runs in the bottom of the third (thanks to two hit batters, a walk, a balk, and an infield single), extending their lead to 7-2, but Portland again responded quickly, getting those two runs right back in the top of the 4th inning. The Ducks would once again bring two runs across in the bottom of the 6th inning, giving them a 9-4 lead, but the Pilots would not go away quietly. They would respond by scoring a run on a two-out, bases loaded single, and then two more would score the next at-bat with another single up the middle, cutting the Ducks lead to just two runs, 9-7. And following a quick 1-2-3 inning by Oregon’s bats in their half of the 7th, the Pilots would strike again with even more two-out magic, launching a 3-run home run over the left field wall, and giving Portland a 10-9 lead. The Ducks would strand runners on the corners in the 8th inning, and another runner on first in the 9th, sealing a win for the Pilots.

I don’t know what it is about playing the University of Portland, but they just seem to have the Ducks number this year. Both games went very similarly, with Oregon getting up big early, and the Pilots chipping away until they eventually closed out the game. Hopefully the Ducks can shake this loss off, because they have a very big series coming up this weekend against dreaded rivals, the #3 Oregon State Beavers.

As always, ‘Sco Ducks.