EUGENE, Ore. –
Cesar Salazar homered for the third time in two games, but the Arizona Wildcats dropped a 2-1 decision to Oregon on Friday night at PK Park in the second game of a three-game series.
Trailing by one entering the ninth, the Wildcats loaded the bases with no outs after
Cameron Cannon reached on an error and Alfonso Rivas and
Nick Quintana reached on back-to-back hit-by-pitches. But Oregon's Kenyon Yovan, who went all nine innings for the Ducks, got back-to-back strikeouts and then got
Jacob Blas to fly out for the final out of the game to secure the one-run victory for Oregon.
The loss dropped Arizona to 33-22 on the season and 13-16 in Pac-12 play. Oregon improved to 26-28 and 12-17 in the conference.
Yovan threw 134 pitches over nine innings, allowing two hits and one run, while striking out six and walking three to improve to 6-4 on the season.
Michael Flynn started for Arizona and turned in a strong start in the loss. The junior righty went 6 1/3 innings, giving up one earned run on six hits, while striking out four and walking one. He fell to 6-5 on the season.
Neither team was able to get on the scoreboard until the fourth inning. Spencer Steer reached for Oregon with one out on an error. Cleanup hitter Jonny DeLuca then doubled to the left-centerfield gap to score Steer from first and give Oregon a 1-0 lead.
Gabe Matthews followed with a walk and Taylor Travess reached on an infield single to load the bases with one out. But Flynn got Ray Soderman and Jason Drees swinging to strand the bases loaded and get the Wildcats out of the inning.
The Ducks maintained their one-run lead until the seventh inning when Salazar struck. After Yovan struck out the first two batters of the inning, Arizona's catcher hit a solo home run to right field to tie the game at one and end Yovan's no-hit bid at 6 2/3 innings.
Matt Fraizer followed with an infield single and moved to second base on an errant pickoff attempt by Yovan. But a groundout from Blas ended the inning and kept the game tied.
Oregon then answered back in the bottom half of the inning. Drees singled with one out, which ended Flynn's night. Left-hander
Gil Luna then came on and struck out Daniel Patzlaff for the second out of the inning. Luna was then charged with a balk, which advanced pinch-runner Alex Andranovich to second base.
Jakob Goldfarb followed with a walk to put two men on with two outs. Right-hander
Zach Stone came on and gave up a bloop single to Kyle Kasser on his first pitch to plate Andranovich and give the Ducks a 2-1 lead.
The Cats went down in order in the eighth, and
Avery Weems struck out the side in the bottom half to set up the ninth, when Yovan finished his complete game off.
Salazar finished 1 for 3 with a home run and a walk in the loss.
The Cats and Ducks will close out their three-game series Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. on Pac-12 Arizona and Pac-12 Oregon. Neither head coach has announced a starting pitcher.
