University of Oregon
24-9
Portland
20-10
Ducks Drop Back-And-Forth Game at Portland
04/08/26 | Baseball
The Ducks struggled on the mound and in the field issuing 11 free passes (8 walks, 3 HBP) while committing three errors. Seven runners who reached base on a free pass or an error came around to score for the Pilots.
A pair of Duck freshmen helped keep Oregon (24-9) in the game combining to go 6-for-8 with two home runs, a pair of doubles, five runs scored and two RBI. Naulivou Lauaki Jr., making just his third start of the season, went 3-for-4 with his first career home run and a pair of doubles while scoring twice. Brayden Jaksa also went 3-for-4, while hitting in the two-hole for the first time, with a homer and three runs scored.
How It Happened: Oregon jumped to an early 2-0 lead, scoring a run in both the first and second innings. Jaksa launched the second pitch he saw in the first inning into the trees beyond the left-field fence.
In the second inning, Lauaki doubled with two outs and came around to score on a Burke-Lee Mabeus two-bagger into the right-field corner.
Portland tied the game with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second, but Oregon answered in the third, scoring three times. Jax Gimenez led off the rally when he was hit by a pitch before Jaksa singled to put runner on first and second. Both runners advanced a base, when Ryan Cooney fouled out to the right fielder. Drew Smith made it 5-2 when he pulled the second pitch he saw over the left-field fence.
Portland (20-10) took its first lead of the game, scoring four runs in the Pilots' half of the third before adding another run in the sixth to make it 7-5.
Lauaki cut the lead in half with one swing of the bat in the seventh, lining his first career home run over the left-field wall. The Ducks didn't stop there scoring two more runs with two outs in the inning. Gimenez started the two-out rally with a walk and moved to second on Jaksa's third hit of the day. Cooney and Smith followed the back-to-back RBI singles on consecutive pitches to give Oregon the lead.
Portland answered once again, this time hitting a pair of three-run home runs in the bottom of the seventh to take a 13-8 lead.
Oregon inched closer with a run in the eighth. Angel Laya led off the inning with a base hit and eventually scored on a Jack Brooks single.
Box Score Notes: Smith moved into seventh on Oregon's career RBI list passing Kyle Garlick (2011-14) … Gimenez reached on a third-inning hit-by-pitch to extend his reached base streak to 23 games, matching Oregon's season high set by Drew Smith earlier in the season … The Ducks started three freshman – Jaksa, Lauaki and Angel Laya – for the first time this season … Ryan Cooney batted third, the first time this season he was not in the leadoff spot … Cooper Strawn made his Ducks' debut out of the bullpen, pitching the eighth inning.
On Deck: The Ducks return home for a top 25 matchup with No. 19 Nebraska starting Friday with a 5:05 p.m. first pitch.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: SEGEL, KADEN (2-1)
L: Morgan, Luke (1-1)
Batting:
2B: Lauaki Jr., Naulivou 2 ; Mabeus, Burke-Lee 1
HR: Jaksa, Brayden 1 ; Smith, Drew 1 ; Lauaki Jr., Naulivou 1
RBI: Jaksa, Brayden 1 ; Cooney, Ryan 1 ; Smith, Drew 4 ; Lauaki Jr., Naulivou 1 ; Mabeus, Burke-Lee 1 ; Brooks, Jack 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Gimenez, Jax 2 ; Jaksa, Brayden 3 ; Smith, Drew 1 ; Laya, Angel 1 ; Lauaki Jr., Naulivou 2
CS: Jaksa, Brayden 1 ; Brooks, Jack 1
HBP: Gimenez, Jax 1
Batting:
2B: NITOWITZ, CODY 1 ; COTE, LEO 1
HR: KATAYAMA-STALL, COLE 1 ; SALK, JONAS 1
RBI: NITOWITZ, CODY 3 ; KATAYAMA-STALL, COLE 3 ; SALK, JONAS 4 ; COTE, LEO 2 ; RUTIGLIANO, FRANKIE 1
Base Running:
RUNS: NITOWITZ, CODY 2 ; KATAYAMA-STALL, COLE 1 ; SWYGART, TREY 1 ; BEAN, BRADY 1 ; SALK, JONAS 1 ; OSBORNE, TROY 2 ; PFEIFER, ISAAC 2 ; AVERY, BROOKS 1 ; COTE, LEO 1 ; RUTIGLIANO, FRANKIE 1
SB: KATAYAMA-STALL, COLE 1 ; AVERY, BROOKS 1
HBP: KATAYAMA-STALL, COLE 1 ; OSBORNE, TROY 2
