Charles Fischer

Bradley Mullan came in to close it out, and it got dicey with bases loaded, but he pitched out the save! Grayson Grinsell was shaky, but got the win with three runs given up in five innings. Ryan Featherston went three innings that was also "iffy" at times, but he held Tommy-Trojan scoreless, and Mullan finished the ninth with the save. Whew! A record FIVE Pac-12 series wins in a row, and this marks the halfway point of the Pac-12 season. Five big series to go!

After eight innings, Ducks lead 5-3. Three more outs! The last two innings ended with sweet double plays! The Oregon infield has solidified and become really good in the past 10 games.

End of seven innings with no change.

End six innings; Oregon still leads 5-3. Featherston came in relief and did well.

Then Grinsell strikes all three Trojan batters! (it goes to show what I know!)

After four innings, Oregon leads 5-3. The pride of Springfield, Maddox Molony, bunted perfectly down to first base to sacrifice for the runner on third. But the Bunt was so perfect, that he was safe at first, and the whole play so distracted the USC infield that the runner from second scored as well! Next play Bryce Boettcher hits a single to score Maddox. Grayson Grinsell is very shaky, And he may not last much further…

Oregon leads 1-0, after two innings. Some brilliant defensive plays to thwart a serious USC threat.

Now 3:30…

First pitch now at 3:05 PM…

New Update: Game's first pitch is 15 minutes later at 2:50 PM PST.

Game delay until 2:35 PM, due to a massive downpour 20 minutes ago. Still raining, but a normal drizzle… Perhaps the Trojans will shudder at this, being used to SoCal weather? For Oregon? Just water-off-a-Duck!

See end game updates at the bottom of this thread. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Taking on the Bastard Trojans at 2:50 PM. (Updated) To watch on your computer...go to GoDucks.com, then Baseball, then schedule, and scroll down to today's game and click on "Oregon Live-Stream." The second game of USC-Oregon State is when the Beavers suffered their worst loss this year (28-4) at 17-4. Get the bats ready!

Amen, Duck-Brother. I sincerely believe that we will have an uptick in exposure and recognition that we cannot possibly foresee right now.

I had no idea.....a pretty strong resemblance!

No sweat. I am not a musician, but to my raw ear....they sound almost identical, and most people I believe would agree. We will disagree, and that's fine. I LOVE our fight song, and a prank I like to do on occasion is leave a voice-mail message of my bellowing out the fight song with fellow Duck-Buddies. Either they love it, or think I'm nuts...or both.

My friends...listen to this below. It is very, very similar. At the time, he told me a bit of the history, and he is a personal friend.

A friend who is a Yale graduate gently explained that our fight song sounds precisely like theirs...and theirs has been around much longer. Oh well!

Elite Pitching, Defense Fuel Friday Night Victory EUGENE, Ore. — The Oregon baseball team got its best start of the season on the mound Friday, helped by spectacular defense, and backed it up with a professional approach at the plate to open a three-game series against USC with a 4-1 victory before 2,401 fans at PK Park. RJ Gordon (5-2) continues to blossom as the Ducks' Friday night starter, coming within two outs of a complete game before Logan Mercado came out to earn his sixth save by recording the final two outs. Oregon's defense was outstanding, including a catch by center fielder Bryce Boettcher that saved a three-run home run, and the Ducks pushed across single runs in four different innings to win a series opener for the fourth straight weekend. "RJ obviously was the story of the day," UO coach Mark Wasikowski said of Gordon, who allowed one run on five hits and three walks, with three strikeouts — his fourth straight start allowing two earned runs or fewer. "I thought RJ was tremendous." Boettcher scored two runs on the night, and also brought back a potential three-run home run in the fifth inning. That play came after Jeffery Heard laid out for a diving catch in right-center to open the inning, and the Ducks also turned two double plays that helped limit Gordon's pitch count and allow him to start the ninth. "It could easily be a different game if some of those plays aren't made," Gordon said. "And I think that's what's great about Oregon baseball, is when we all play the way we should, every position, no one's gonna beat us. It's great having those guys behind me for sure." RJ Gordon How It Happened: After Gordon struck out the game's first hitter, the next three batters reached and a sacrifice fly gave USC a 1-0 lead. That was all the Trojans would end up getting off the Ducks and Gordon. "He's pitching like a Friday night guy — as good as there is in the conference right now," Wasikowski said. "That was one of his goals, and he's doing that at this point in time." Gordon would face the minimum over the next three innings, helped by a double play turned by Maddox Molony, Drew Smith and Jacob Walsh that negated a one-out single in the fourth inning. And by the time Gordon took the mound for the fifth, Oregon had a 3-1 lead. The Ducks got started in the second, when Heard hit a leadoff single, took second on an error, was sacrificed to third by Anson Aroz and scored on a passed ball. Boettcher singled with two out in the third, advanced on a balk and scored on a base hit by Bennett Thompson, and in the third Chase Meggers came up with one out and runners at second and third, and smartly hit a ground ball to the right side that scored Aroz. "I just thought it was an unselfish offensive day," Wasikowski said. After Heard's diving catch to open the fifth, USC put two on. With two outs, the Trojans' leading hitter, Jacob Galloway, smashed a ball to center that Boettcher tracked to the wall before jumping to bring back what would have been a three-run home run that gave USC the lead. Boettcher said plays like that are things the UO outfield works on in practice drills. "Then it just carries over into batting practice, and just crashing into walls, diving for balls," said Boettcher, a Eugene native who doubles as a linebacker on the UO football team. "People will say you gotta save your body, which, maybe if you're playing 160 games. But in the fairly short season that we've got, you can afford it. And to make those plays, I think it benefits the team." Another double play helped Gordon pitch a 1-2-3 eighth inning, when Walsh snared a line drive with one on and one out, then stepped on first to double up the runner. The Ducks added on in the bottom of the eighth, without a hit — Boettcher struck out but reached on a passed ball, Walsh walked with one out, Aroz walked with two out and Ryan Cooney was hit by a pitch to force in Boettcher for a 4-1 lead. Gordon was pulled in the ninth after a walk put runners at the corners with one out. But Mercado slammed the door for the save, and preserved the win for the Ducks and their Friday night starter. "I think that's a position for older guys, just to kind of set the tone for the weekend," Gordon said of accepting the Friday night role. "And overall it hasn't been easy for me — I've grinded through a lot of not-great outings, good outings, just kind of trying to find that happy medium of what my process is on the mound. I think I'm starting to creep to it; I still think I've got a lot of ways to go, but yeah, it's great." On Deck: Game two of the series is Saturday at 2 p.m.

I was so critical of our pitching, and then RJ Gordon puts up an incredible game. Scoring four runs is usually not enough to win, but with such great pitching--you can. He was NOT good at times early in the season, and you can see him improve to where he is now a studly Friday night starter. I am very happy for him and Our Beloved Ducks!

Ducks win 4-1! RJ Gordon got an out in the ninth, and turned the final two outs to Logan Mercado who got a clutch strike out, and fly out!

Ducks leave the bases loaded, but pick up a run to make it 4-1 after an hit batter; eight innings done! Holy Crap! RJ Gordon is on the mound for the ninth inning.

Omigosh! The crowd at PK are dancing to SHOUT as Oregon finished off USC’s eighth inning with a sweet Jacob Walsh double-play! Walsh caught a low line-drive hit for the catch, and out, and then stepped on the bag to put the runner out who was headed to second. Double plays and great pitching! RJ has gone eight innings!

Still 3-1, Oregon, after seven innings, and RJ Gordon has done GREAT holding those SoCal Bastards to one run in seven innings pitched. He’s out there for the eighth!

No change of score after five innings due to Bryce Boettcher jumping up two feet over the wall to make the catch, and prevent a three run home run! And don’t forget a diving catch by Jeffrey Heard in right field! Whew!

Ducks up 3-1 after four innings, with a sweet double play to finish the damn Trojans.