Oregon baseball vs. Penn State game 3; live updates and analysis
Follow along as the Oregon Ducks seek a series sweep over Penn State on Sunday at PK Park.
Although both teams are on opposite ends of the Big Ten standings, it has been a hard-fought series this weekend in Eugene. Still, it's the Oregon Ducks (31-11, 14-6 Big Ten) that have claimed the first two games of the series and are looking for a sweep on Sunday over the Penn State Nittany Lions (12-28, 5-15 Big Ten) at PK Park. The Ducks overcame early deficits to win 5-4 on Friday and Saturday, the latter of which came in extra innings.
Despite the slow starts, the Ducks found strong starting performances from Will Sanford and Collin Clarke, largely saving the bullpen for the series finale. On Friday, Oregon struggled to find a clutch hit, leaving 13 runners on base, but a rally materialized thanks to a mistake by the Penn State defense. An errant throw in the infield by Penn State pulled catcher Joey DeMucci's foot just off home plate, allowing Jack Brooks to cross and score the eventual winning run.
In Saturday's game, the Ducks fell behind 4-0 in the first inning and slowly chipped their way back, tying the game in the seventh inning. Devin Bell entered in the eighth inning and helped the Ducks reach extra innings without allowing a baserunner. Bell tossed 2 ⅓ innings, marking a fifth consecutive outing for the Ducks' closer in which he picked up more than three outs.
In the bottom of the 10th inning, Brooks was once again at the center of it all. After working a full count with two outs and the bases loaded, it was a do-or-die moment for the Oregon center fielder. Brooks' patience paid off, as he drew a walk-off walk to force in the winning run.