| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
EUGENE, Ore. -- Oregon built a 4-0 lead against the Stanford baseball team in the second game of a three-game set and held on for a 4-3 win Saturday afternoon at PK Park. Alex Dunlap accounted for all of the Cardinal’s runs on a three-run homer in the seventh.
Stanford (19-25, 5-15 Pac-12) and starting pitcher Marc Brakeman (1-3) found early trouble, something the right-hander has not been used to since returning two weeks ago after missing 24 games with an arm injury. Brakeman, who had allowed just one earned run in 8.0 innings since coming back, started the second inning with four straight hits against followed by two sacrifice flies to give Oregon a 4-0 lead.
Brakeman settled in to retire the last 12 batters he faced and keep Stanford in the game.
Alex Dunlap did all he could to climb the Cardinal back with a pair of hits, including the long home run off the left center field scoreboard. Beau Branton walked and Jonny Locher singled through the left side to set up Dunlap’s shot.
Oregon (27-19, 9-11 Pac-12) and Stanford tied in hits for the second straight day, each producing six after last night having seven. All of the Ducks’ knocks came in the first three frames, as Brakeman and reliever Chris Castellanos combined to sit down the final 18 Oregon hitters.
Tim Susnara’s two-RBI double out of the No. 8 spot in the lineup in the second inning was one of two extra-base hits for the Ducks. No. 2-hitter Austin Grebeck also doubled.
David Peterson (4-5) picked up the win by going the first 6.1 innings. He was lifted after Dunlap’s home run to give way to three relievers who sat down the next eight Cardinal players without surrendering a hit.
Garrett Cleavinger earned his seventh save, but not without some drama. Dunlap popped up on what seemed to be a sure out to first base to end the game before Brandon Cuddy let the ball bounce off his glove and to the turf, while skipping around Dunlap’s route to first base. It was ruled that Dunlap interfered with Cuddy since he was inside the base path on the fair side, thus ending the game.
The teams play for the third straight day tomorrow at 12 p.m. PT. Lefty Andrew Summerville will face righty Trent Paddon.