On the warmest day thus far of 2024, Oregon baseball was able to bounce back from Friday’s pitching meltdown and hold on to their lead in besting the Washington Huskies, 13-6.

Grayson Grinsell started for the Ducks, and Calvin Kirchoff took the hill for the Huskies. To say the least, neither pitched particularly well, with bats on both sides hitting early and often.

The Ducks wasted no time in scoring right from the outset of the game, as leadoff hitter Drew Smith started the game with a single, which was followed by Mason Neville hitting a two-run homer off the second pitch thrown at him.

Washington struck back in the bottom of the inning, when Grinsell gave up a home run to the leadoff batter for the Huskies.

Over the next couple of innings, both sides handed out runs like Halloween candy. In the top of the fourth inning, it appeared that Oregon was beginning to distance the Huskies 7-4, but any semblance of control from Grinsell failed him, and Brock Moore took the mound with one out and runners on second and third.

The Huskies immediately hit a two-run double to pull within one run, 7-6, and the game was starting to feel like a repeat of Friday’s debacle.

Much to his credit, Moore shook off two runs that were not earned and pitched his longest outing of this season, completely silencing the Washington bats.

With both sides going scoreless in the fifth inning, the Ducks scored two more in the sixth to pushed their lead to 9-6.

In the midst of Oregon’s scoring push, Moore pitched 1-2-3 innings in the 6th, 7th, and 8th.

In the seventh inning, the succession of a pair of Washington relief pitchers gave up a single to Jeffrey Heard, and the walked Justin Cassella and Maddox Maloney to load the bases. Chase Meggers cleared the bases with a double that coincidentally doubled Oregon’s lead over the Huskies.

Carter Garate added an insurance run in the ninth inning, and his overly aggressive running led to the end of the inning for the Ducks.

Brock Moore finally began to fatigue after throwing 80 pitches, and Logan Mercado notched the final out of the game, with an ending score of 13-6.

It was not Grayson Grinsell’s finest day, and that happens in college ball. Grinsell ended up pitching 4.1 innings with six runs on four hits, along with 4 walks and 5 Ks.

Brock Moore brought game in relief that preserved Oregon’s lead from the fifth inning on. Moore pitched five innings, allowing three hits with no runs, and only one walk to go with 8 Ks.

The Duck bats hit early and often, led by Chase Meggers going 2-4 with 5 RBIs. Here is your final line score:

Coach Waz had these brief comments after the game.

Washington and Oregon battle today for the series win. The game is early this afternoon and 12:05 pm, and will be shown on the Pac-12 Network.

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