Michigan wins 4-3 as Devin Bell gave up three hits and a plinked batter. The final hit scored two for the walk-off. Ducks had plenty of chances to win, as we ended up stranding 13 on base.

3-2 Ducks after eight innings. My stomach is churning as Oregon stranded two in scoring position again for a total of 12 runners stranded on base. We should have this game in hand, and yet could lose it.

Luke Morgan kept our recent tradition of pitching to retire the side 1-2-3 continued!

3-2 Ducks after seven innings. My gosh...Oregon strands two in scoring position again. Coming in to pitch is Luke Morgan, who has an ERA of 2.45 and he put the Wolverines down 1-2-3!

3-2 Ducks after six innings. We are stuck on offense, but Michael Meckna just put down Michigan 1-2-3...two innings in a row.

3-2 Ducks after five innings. Nothing on offense, and Oregon brought Michael Meckna in for relief with a 4.20 ERA. He got beat-up in a recent game, but retired the side with three fly-balls easily this inning.

3-2 Ducks after four innings. Gabe Miranda hit to the RF corner for a double, and was moved to 3rd on a ground-out. Jax Gimenez walks, and then Dominic Hellman hits to the opposite field of the shift to RF shallow for a hit and scores Miranda. Ducks have bases-loaded....and blows it after that.

I was surprised to see Cal Scolari return, but he got a 1-2-3 inning, and he has 88 pitches.

2-2 after three innings. Oregon's Cal Scolari had his day turn sour, as he lost control. An observation? The transfer from San Diego does not do well in the rain, as he performed poorly in another rainy game in Eugene in the recent past. In this inning today, he walked batters, plinked them, and gave up hits to tie the score.

2-0 Ducks after two innings. Both Oregon and Michigan stranded two base runners, as both pitchers got into jams, and pitched out of them.

In the pregame interview Coach Waz spoke of today being about mental toughness, as they have rain, mist, and cold conditions today in Ann Arbor. Michigan puts up David Lally who throws 95 mph heat and has an ERA of 5.40 versus Oregon's Cal Scolari at 2.57 ERA.

2-0 Ducks after one inning. Finally....a great start, but due to Wolverine errors. Ryan Cooney gets a leadoff double by hitting the wall in the CF/RF gap, and Jax Gimenez takes the generous walk given. Dominic Hellman sac-grounds out, but moves the runners to scoring position.

Angel Laya hits a chopper to their SS, and the routine throw to first is muffed-up, and thus scores both Cooney and Gimenez!

Cal Scolari made it look easy this inning with 3-up, and 3-down!

OREGON ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2026

BASEBALL | @OregonBaseball

 

Ducks Close Strong, Even Series at Michigan

 

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Collin Clarke gave No. 15 Oregon a strong start on the mound while Jack Brooks provided the Oregon offense with the spark it needed on Friday in a 5-2 Big Ten Conference win at Ray Fisher Stadium to even the series.

 

Minus giving up a second-inning run on back-to-back doubles, Clarke (5-2) was in control through six innings scattering five hits while striking out seven and walking just one.

 

After giving up the run, Clarke retired 14 of the final 19 batters he faced, while not allowing more than one base runner in any of his final four innings. The biggest threat came when Cooper Mullens doubled to lead off the third, but Clarke retired the next five hitters he faced, including three strikeouts.

Collin Clarke

While Clarke was cruising, the Ducks offense continued to scuffle over the first four innings managing just three hits during the stretch, while also leaving the bases loaded in the third inning with just one out after a hit, walk and hit by pitch.

 

Brooks changed all that with one swing of the bat in the fifth. The Ducks’ center fielder homered over the right-center field wall to tie the game. After that homer, the Ducks added four more runs on seven hits in the final four innings. 

 

How It Happened: Michigan (15-14, 4-7 Big Ten) took the early lead with a run in the second, before Oregon tied it on the Brooks home run in the fifth.

 

After a scoreless sixth, Oregon (24-7, 8-4 Big Ten) took its first lead of the series scoring a run in the seventh. Pinch-hitter Burke-Lee Mabeus led off the inning with a pinch-hit double that landed inside the left-field line and spun left bouncing into the Wolverines bullpen. After a Brooks walk, Ryan Cooney singled through the left side scoring Mabeus to give UO the lead.

 

The Ducks tacked on three runs in the eighth. Drew Smith singled to lead off the inning, before stealing second and moving to third on an Angel Laya ground out to the second baseman. Maddox Molony executed a squeeze bunt to score Smith from third and motored all the way to second when Wolverine pitcher Gavin DeVooght (0-3) flipped the ball with his glove over the catcher’s head to the backstop.

Drew Smith making a terrific play at 3rd Base

 

Mabeus followed with an RBI single scoring Molony from third before Cooney picked up his second RBI with a single that scored Mabeus from second.

 

Box Score Notes: Jax Gimenez’s first-inning base hit extended his reached base streak to 21 games, two shy or Oregon’s season high of 23 by Smith … Cooney went 2-for-4 with two RBI, his 31st career multiple-hit game and his 23rd multiple-RBI game … Mabeus had two hits in two at-bats, his 10th career multiple-hit game … Brooks a had a pair of hits, his seventh career multiple-hit game … His home run was his fifth in his last 12 starts … Devin Bell pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his seventh save, one shy of cracking the single-season top 10 at Oregon.

 

On Deck: The Ducks and Wolverines will play the rubber match in the series on Saturday. First pitch has been moved up an hour to 8:02 a.m. (PT) because of expected weather issues later in the day.

 

Ducks win 5-2, as Devin Bell gets another save and closes the game out. Bats came alive late--after the Wolverine starter hit his pitch count.

Rubber match Saturday morning at 9:00 AM PST on B1G+, and the game recap will be below in a few hours.

5-2 Ducks after eight innings. Drew Smith hits into shallow LF, and steals second later. Angel Laya sac-grounds out to move Smith to third. Maddox Molony does a very short bunt, but the throw to home was errant, so Smith scores while Molony gets to second. A wild pitch moves Molony to third, and a hit by Burke-Lee Mabeus through the left IF scores Molony. Mabeus steals second, and Ryan Cooney hits up the middle to score the very-fast Mabeus from second.

Tanner Bradley gave up a couple of hits and a run...but now it is CLAMP-TIME for Our Beloved Ducks going into the ninth!

2-1 Ducks after six innings! Burke-Lee Mabeus got a lead-off double from hitting to the LF corner, and Jack Brooks sac-bunted him to third base. Ryan Cooney slips a single through the left infield to score Mabeus!

Tanner Bradley comes in to pitch for Oregon and put them down quickly...1-2-3

1-1 after five innings. Oregon's Collin Clarke has been super, but I doubt he comes out in the seventh.

1-1 after five innings. Jack Brooks smashed a solo homer over the CF wall that cleared by a mile.

Oregon's Collin Clarke gives up little bits, and then clamps down and strikes them out!

1-0 Michigan after four innings. Ducks strand one on base.

Collin Clarke is holding down the fort pretty well, now if the Oregon batters would help him...!

1-0 Michigan after three innings. Omigosh...Ducks stranded bases loaded!

Collin Clarke gives up a double, but gives nothing after that.

1-0 Michigan after two innings. Nothing on offense for Oregon this inning...

Collin Clarke gave up two doubles and a plinked batter, but limited the damage to one run.

0-0 after one inning. Oregon had chances with two on base, but both got caught stealing.

Collin Clarke is dealing from the hill, and put them down 1-2-3...even with some drama about a first base call that went Oregon's way when Waz challenged it.

Streets is a Rivals 4-Star, and had offers from most of the SEC. In addition to Oregon, other notable offers were from Penn State, Ohio State, Texas, Miami, Alabama, Notre Dame, USC, and Georgia. Not all that offered, but an elite group!

Michigan run-rules Oregon 10-0 to take the first game of the series.

10-0 Michigan after six innings. I was afraid it would get ugly...and it has. True Freshman Josh Hollis gave up two walks, and a couple hits to score three more.

Meanwhile the Ducks look inept on offense. Perhaps a Run-Rule would be merciful?

7-0 Michigan after five innings. It's awful, but at least Josh Hollis is getting some good experience and some outs.

7-0 Michigan after four innings. We look so flat...and thus nothing on offense again?

Oregon put Josh Hollis in to pitch, which to me is waving a white flag. Waz is either saving Bradley for another game, or pulling him because he did not like what what he saw of Tanner's pitching.

So Hollis gives up a hit that scores another...

My Duck-Buddies, the body language I see from OBD is not good, and this one is about to get ugly. So I will be posting scoring a little later than usual, as I have other stuff to do too.

6-0 Michigan after three innings. Nothing on offense.

Will Sanford lost control today and was replaced with two outs gone. He plinked a batter, and walked three, as a grounder scored one. Then he gave up a base hit that scored two.

Then Tanner Bradley gives up a hit that scores two...