Owen Diodoti’s uniform changed but his opening day ended in the same fashion.
The Alabama transfer, who delivered a two-run walk-off home run to beat Xavier on opening day 2022, hit a walk-off sacrifice fly to left to score Riiku Nishida in a 3-2 Oregon win over the Musketeers Friday night at PK Park.
“I guess it’s kind of been fate that I’ve been put in that situation twice,” Diodoti said. “Kind of stressed the same thing in both situations; don’t try and do too much. … I didn’t have to hit a home run there to win the game; a sac fly with Riiku Nishida on third base — if I put it out there anywhere he’s probably scoring.”
The Ducks combined for just three hits and a walk through the first eight innings but got the first three aboard to open the ninth. Diodoti lofted a 1-2 pitch to left and Nishida, who opened the bottom of the ninth with a single to left, scored easily.
“A win’s a win,” Oregon coach Mark Wasikowski said. “It’s opening day so you’ve got a bunch of people that are nervous. I even asked the guys at the end of the game show of hands who was nervous. When Riiku Nishida, who’s an all-star in the Cape Cod league raises his hand, it doesn’t matter what you say during the week, doesn’t matter what you do, they’re going to be nervous on the first game.”
It was the second RBI of the day for Diodoti, who hit a towering fly ball down the left field line in the first that landed in the perfect spot for an RBI double that allowed scored Tanner Smith to give UO a 1-0 lead.
Diodoti also made a critical diving catch down the line in right in the top of the eighth that likely saved a run.
“I think the diving catch was big just because I felt like maybe it gave our offense a spark. We scored the next inning and in the ninth as well. It’s something I worked really hard to kind of try and improve my defense. I know any of our outfielders would’ve made that catch right there. It feels good to make a play for your team and maybe spark us a little bit.”
But XU’s Ethan Bosacker was nearly untouchable after that, retiring 16 straight Ducks until a Smith one-out single to right in the seventh. Bosacker allowed a run on two hits and a walk and struck out six over 7.0 magnificent innings but was let down by his bullpen.
“He was throwing four pitches for strikes at 91-93 overall,” Wasikowski said. “That usually wins in college and he was doing that. I top my hat to the kid.”
Xavier tied the game in the third on a solo home run by No. 9 hitter Carter Hendrickson, who went yard in his first career at-bat and had an extremely animated celebration.
Five Ducks pitchers combined to allow two runs on just three hits with 11 strikeouts but also issued eight walks and hit a batter.
UO’s Logan Mercado allowed a run on two hits and two walks and struck out seven on 69 pitches over 4.0 innings in a no-decision.
“Fastball was playing today, changeup was working well too,” Mercado said. “Kind of had those in the bag and they kind of did the work for me in terms of how many I struck out.”
Mercado lost velocity at the end of the fourth and was replaced by Jacob Hughes, who loaded the bases on just 13 pitches and a ground ball double play allowed the go-ahead run to score.
Hughes walked the leadoff runner in the seventh and Austin Anderson issued two free passes to load the bases with two outs but got a ground out to first to end the threat.
Ian Umlandt worked around a one-out single in the eighth, with Diodoti making a diving catch down the line in right to end the frame.
Josiah Cromwick opened the bottom of the eighth with a double to the corner in left off Bryce Barnett. Two batters later an error by second baseman Jared Cushing allowed the tying run to score.
Josh Mollerus struck out two in a perfect ninth to earn the win out of the bullpen.
Oregon will send Leo Uelmen and Matthew Grabmann to the mound for Saturday’s doubleheader, which begins at 12 p.m.
