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Your Oregon Ducks took on the UC Irvine Anteaters in game two of the Live Like Lou College Baseball Classic in Las Vegas on Saturday afternoon, looking to keep their undefeated season going. The top of the first inning went by pretty fast for the Ducks, who would go in order in just 11 pitches, followed up by UCI grabbing an early 1-0 lead on a sacrifice fly with runners on the corners. The 2nd inning would go a little better for Oregon, getting traffic on the bases early thanks to a Gabe Miranda single and a Maddox Molony HBP. After a sacrifice bunt by Drew Smith would move both runners into scoring position, Angel Laya would ground out to the right side of the infield, allowing Miranda to tie the game at 1-1. An RBI double for UCI would help them regain the lead in the bottom of the third, however, 2-1 Anteaters.
UCI would grab another run in the bottom of the 5th inning on an RBI single up the middle, to give them a 3-1 lead. In the top of the 7th, Drew Smith flashed his power again, knocking his 4th HR over the left field fence, and butting the deficit to one, 3-2. Then, in the 8th, it was Dom Hellman’s turn to showcase his abilities, punching his 2nd HR of the season down the left field line for a 2-run blast, giving the Ducks a 4-3 lead. Drew Smith would check in once again, knocking a single to left and scoring Molony on the play, to extend the Oregon lead to 5-3.
But that’s when things would start to unravel. In the bottom of the 8th inning, UCI would load the bases with two outs, and they would find a way to break through. On the first pitch of the at bat, they would single up the middle to score two runs and tie the ballgame at 5-5. Then, after a walk loaded the bases again, they’d score another run on a HBP. Then another walk. And then YET ANOTHER HBP. And suddenly it was 8-5 UCI, before a popup to shortstop would mercifully end the inning. The Ducks would get another run in the top of the 9th on a throwing error on a sac-bunt, but that would be all, and Oregon would lose their first game of the season 8-6,
What a hauntingly familiar way to lose a game. This felt like a game straight out of last season, where the bullpen just collapsed out of nowhere late in the game, and there was no way to come back from it. Oh well. Undefeated would’ve been nice, but it was always a very unlikely outcome for the season. Hopefully the boys can bounce back quickly, because their next two games are against some absolute powerhouse programs (Vanderbilt on Sunday 3/1, and Oregon State on Tuesday 3/3).
As always, ‘Sco Ducks