No. 10 Oregon again struggled offensively as No. 23 Mississippi State knocked off the Ducks, 5-2, to earn a sweep of the three-game series on Sunday at Dudy Noble Field.
How It Happened: Oregon (8-5) managed just two runs on six hits and failed to capitalize on a couple of key run-scoring opportunities against the Bulldogs. The Ducks got a pair of base runners aboard in the fourth, but were turned away with a 4-6-3 double play. A potential rally fizzled out again in the sixth with another double play, and the Ducks left the bases loaded in the seventh.
Travis Moniot and A.J. Balta got Oregon on the board with a pair of solo home runs in the eighth inning, but the Bulldogs had already built a five-run lead and turned the Ducks away in order in the ninth to preserve the win and the series sweep.
Mississippi State (12-3-1) took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning when leadoff man Jacob Robson legged out an infield single, stole second and came around to score on a base hit to right field. The Bulldogs extended their lead to 2-0 in the fifth, getting the first two men aboard with a single and a walk before pushing a run across with a sacrifice fly.
Robson hurt the Ducks again in the sixth, slapping a base hit the opposite way to left field to drive in a run, and Brent Rooker capped a 3-for-4 day with a two-run home run to left field to push the MSU lead to 5-0. Oregon had chance to get out of the sixth with just one run on the board after getting Robson caught in-between first and second base, but the ball dropped during the rundown and Rooker went deep on the next pitch. All five of Mississippi State’s runs came with two outs.
Rocky Weekend For Rotation: After dominating opponents through the first three weeks of the season, the Ducks’ starting rotation struggled to keep Mississippi State in check over the three-game series. Sunday starter David Peterson (2-1) allowed four runs on six hits with just two strikeouts over 5.2 innings, taking his first loss of the season. Peterson doubled his season total with four walks, and struggled at the start of innings as the Bulldogs reached base to begin four of his five innings of work. Cole Irvin took the loss on Friday, allowing five runs over 5.1 innings, and Matt Krook failed to make it out of the first inning in Saturday’s loss. The Ducks’ rotation had entered the weekend with six consecutive quality starts and carried a streak of 34.1 innings without allowing an earned run.
A Few Bats Stand Out: Tim Susnara continued his strong start to the season with a 2-for-3 day at the plate on Sunday after checking in with a pair of hits on Saturday. The Ducks’ catcher leads the team with 14 hits and a .333 batting average. Moniot’s home run in the eighth was the first of his career, while Balta’s solo shot was his team-leading fourth home run of the season and the seventh of his career. Jakob Goldfarb and Austin Grebeck had the other two hits for the Ducks, both checking in with singles.
Notable: Grebeck, the Ducks’ leadoff hitter, has reached base in all 13 games this season after singling on Sunday … Closer Stephen Nogosek made his only appearance of the weekend on Sunday, throwing 1.2 scoreless innings after entering with two men on in the seventh … Mark Karaviotis earned his first start since the opening series against San Diego State, batting seventh as the designated hitter … Kyle Kasser made his second career start, and first at first base, going 0-for-2 with a walk.
On Deck: The Ducks will return home to open conference play next weekend with a three-game series against Utah. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. on Friday at PK Park and will be aired on Pac-12 Networks.
