Live updates: Oregon baseball vs. No. 21 Texas Tech
The Oregon Ducks will look to cap off a big opening weekend this afternoon when they close out play at the Shriners Children College Showdown in Arlington, Texas.
The Ducks (2-0) will host the Texas Tech Red Raiders (1-1) at Globe Life Field on Sunday.
Oregon opened the season with a 4-2 win over Oklahoma on Friday and then captured a 7-4 win over Baylor on Saturday. Both games featured a couple of big hits from first-year outfielder Jeffery Heard and a lights-out performance from the Ducks’ bullpen.
Follow along throughout the afternoon as the Ducks look to notch an early-season win over a ranked opponent.
Live updates: Oregon vs. Texas Tech
Ninth Inning
T9
Carter Garate continued his big day with a two-out double off the right-field wall. Then, Drew Smith drag-bunted for a base hit to give the Ducks runners in the corners.
But Jacob Walsh struck out on an outside fastball to end the game.
Eighth Inning
T8
Jeffery Heard crushed a two-out double — his third of the weekend.
But he was left stranded, and Oregon could not get a run across the plate.
B8
Damian Bravo continued his demolition of the Ducks and smashed his third RBI double of the day — this time to right field — to push TTU’s lead to 11-7.
Seventh Inning
T7
Carter Garate built on what was already a tremendous day at the plate and ripped an infield single to plate Bennett Thompson, who led off the inning with a triple, to cut TTU’s lead to 9-7.
Later, Drew Smith hit his third single up the middle in as many innings.
B7
Oregon right-hander Ryan Featherstone stayed on the mound for the Ducks to face the bottom of the Red Raiders order. He sandwiched a strikeout between two walks
Sixth Inning
T6
Drew Smith came through in the clutch again and delivered a two-run single to cut TTU’s lead to 7-6. But, for the second inning in a row, the heart of the Ducks’ order left a pair of runners stranded in scoring position.
B6
Oregon right-handed reliever Michael Freund was hit hard in his second appearance of the weekend. Tracer Lopez smashed a solo homer to right, and Gavin Cash delivered an RBI single to increase TTU’s lead to 9-6.
Fifth Inning
T5
The bottom of the order delivered once again for the Ducks. Boettcher roped a leadoff single followed by a Garate double. Then, Drew Smith put the Ducks on the board with a two-run single to make it 6-2 and chase Washburn from the game.
Then, with two outs, Jeffery Heard and Bennett Thompson ripped back-to-back RBI singles to cut the TTU lead to 6-4.
B5
Damian Bravo smashed a two-out RBI double off of Twist to push TTU’s lead to 7-4. But the Ducks escaped without further damage.
Fourth Inning
T4
Dominic Hellman scorched a single up the middle that was easily Oregon’s hardest-hit ball of the day thus far. But the Ducks left a pair of runners stranded in scoring position once again and failed to capitalize on a big opportunity.
B4
Toby Twist stayed on in relief for Oregon and produced another very good frame, retiring TTU’s 1-2-3 hitters in order.
Third Inning
T3
Oregon’s No. 8 and No. 9 hitters, Bryce Boettcher and Carter Garate, both reached base and then advanced on a double steal. But Drew Smith struck out, and Jacob Walsh left a towering fly ball on the warning track to end the inning.
B3
Oregon lefty reliever Toby Twist looked much sharper in his second inning of work. He racked up a pair of strikeouts to close out the frame.
Second Inning
T2
Washburn continued to mix in a wipeout slider with a low-90s fastball to great effect. He struck out the first two batters of the inning, and then TTU second baseman Tracer Lopez robbed Bennett Thompson of a hit with a nice play to end the inning.
B2
Spoljaric surrendered walks to the first three batters he faced — including a two-run double to Damian Bravo to give TTU an early 2-0 lead.
Later in the inning, Tracer Lopez lifted a sac fly to the right field warning track to make it 3-0 and chase Spoljaric.
Ducks’ freshman lefty Toby Twist came on to make his UO debut and was greeted with a three-run home run from Austin Green to make it 6-0.
First Inning
T1
Texas Tech starter Jack Washburn mowed down the Ducks in the first inning. He struck out Drew Smith and Jacob Walsh swinging in order, then forced Justin Cassella into a weak pop-up.
B1
Oregon starter Turner Spoljaric worked his way out of a two-out jam to produce a scoreless first inning. He struck out TTU cleanup hitter Gavin Cash to end the frame.
Pregame
Oregon starting lineup
- 1. Drew Smith 3B
- 2. Jacob Walsh 1B
- 3. Justin Cassella LF
- 4. Dominic Hellman DH
- 5. Jeffery Heard RF
- 6. Bennett Thompson C
- 7. Ryan Cooney 2B
- 8. Bryce Boettcher CF
- 9. Carter Garate SS
- RHP Turner Spoljaric
