Oregon’s wait to return to Omaha will extend into a 70th year.
The Ducks led early but their lack of quality pitching depth once again proved costly in the postseason.
Jackson Pace worked into and out of trouble through the first three innings, but led off the fourth with a walk and hit batter and Oral Roberts plated three in the frame to take the lead for good in an 11-6 win over the Ducks in Game 3 of the Eugene Super Regional Sunday afternoon at a sold out PK Park.
Jake McMurray went 4 for 5 with two RBIs and Mac McCroskey drove in three for the Golden Eagles (51-12), who reach the College World Series for the first time since 1978. ORU will face TCU at the CWS on Friday.
Pace entered with a team-high 8.44 ERA and hadn’t pitched since May 13, when he allowed eight runs on six hits, a walk and hit batter without recording an out in a loss to Washington. The freshman got out of a bases-loaded, no out jam in the first with just one run in on a fielder’s choice groundout that should have been an inning-ending double play.
Oregon (41-22) took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the inning on a three-run blast to right by Tanner Smith.
ORU had two on with two outs in the second and Pace got behind Justin Quinn 3-0, but got a groundout to get out of the jam.
Jonah Cox led off the third with a single and later scored on a single by McCroskey to make it 3-2 after three.
Pace lost command at the start of the fourth, putting two on before getting relieved by Logan Mercado. McMurrary hit an RBI single to left to tie the game. Matt Hogan drew an RBI walk and McCroskey drove in another on an fielder’s choice that made it 5-3.
Pace allowed four runs on five hits, two walks and two hit batters over 3.0 innings. Mercado allowed a run on two hits and a walk and struck out three over 3.0 innings.
Sabin Ceballos led off the bottom of the sixth with a solo home run to get UO within 5-4.
Grayson Grinsell hit a batter and got behind 3-0 before leaving with an apparent arm injury to open the seventh. Matt Hogan scored on a wild pitch, a throwing error by shortstop Drew Cowley allowed a run to score and McMurrary smoked an RBI single up the middle to give Oral Roberts an 8-4 lead.
Oral Roberts walked the bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the seventh, bringing up Ceballos as the potential tying run. The Ducks third baseman fouled off several pitches before hitting a sacrifice fly to center. Tanner Smith walked to load the bases again for freshman Drew Smith, who flew out to right in his first career at-bat with the bases loaded and Oregon didn’t seriosuly threaten again.
The Golden Eagles added three runs in the top of the ninth as four Ducks relievers, two of whom hadn’t played in the postseason, combined for four walks and two hit batters.
The Oregonian/OregonLive will update this story.