It wasn’t the prettiest win of the season, but Oregon gutted out a tough game against Gonzaga and found solace in a walk off RBI single in the bottom of the ninth with two outs off the bat of Ryan Hambright to get the 4-3 victory.
Zach Abbruzza was set to take the mound for the Bulldogs when he felt discomfort and swelling in his eye and had to be taken to a local hospital after seeing both teams’ trainers. Billy Moon stepped in, pitching a strong six and a third innings, giving up just three hits and three runs while striking out eight.
“It was a great effort by their little left hander,” Oregon coach George Horton said of Moon. “He wasn’t supposed to start the game, but got pressed into action. Mood did a great job of keeping us off-balance and we didn’t make many runs at him.”
Jordan Spencer got the start for the Ducks, going a full four innings giving up just two hits and one run, but didn’t have much support offensively. Oregon didn’t get a hit until the bottom of the fourth when Hambright hit a double to shallow center field.
It wasn’t until the sixth inning when Oregon corralled another hit, this one a single from Nick Catalano. Hambright then was walked to load the bases before Scott Heineman scored on a wild pitch to Josh Graham. Graham then drove in Catalano, allowing the Ducks to tie the game 2-2.
“We were a little comatose at first,” Horton said. “I didn’t like it, especially the first six innings. We didn’t pitch very well, out bats were uncharacteristic. I think we struck out eight times in the first five or six innings.”
Oregon came back in the seventh to take a 3-2 lead on an RBI single from Mitchell Tolman to center field, scoring J.J. Altobelli. However, in the eighth inning Mitchell Gunsolus got on first due to a fielding error by Hambright at third base, and was later driven in by Cory Lebrun on a double to right field, tying the game.
Turning point. The game seemed destined for extra innings when Hambright stepped to the plate in the bottom of the ninth with two outs. Two at-bats prior, Tolman singled, seemingly loading the bases, when Brett Thomas got caught in a chase down trying to steal home. It seemed as though their best shot was gone. Tyler Baumgartner was then walked to load the bases with two outs before Hambright stepped to the plate and hit an RBI single to center field, scoring Heineman and winning the game.
“That guy was throwing a lot of sliders with runners in scoring position,” Hambright said of the pitch. “I just wanted to get a pitch up and get a good swing on it.”
On the horizon. Oregon and Gonzaga will finish off the series tomorrow at PK Park, first pitch coming at 6 p.m. Clayton Crum will get the start. Ryon Healy, who has missed the past two games, will again be unavailable for Oregon with a back strain. Horton said he expects he will be ready Friday when Oregon takes on Oregon State.