Ducks rally to top Stanford 8-6 in 10, reach Pac-12 semifinals
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Sabin Ceballos homered to center field leading off the top of the 10th inning to spark Oregon’s 8-6 comeback win over top-seeded Stanford on Thursday night, wrapping up pool play in the Pac-12 Tournament.
Both teams advance to Friday’s semifinals with Oregon playing Washington and Stanford facing Arizona.
The Ducks (35-20) scored the last six runs, including one in the eighth and two in the ninth, to top the Cardinal (38-15). After Ceballos’ 14th home run, three-straight two-out walks and a wild pitch gave Oregon an insurance run.
Four different relievers limited Stanford to five hits after the Cardinal took a 6-2 lead after two innings.
Rikuu Nishida drove in two runs for the Ducks with a single in the fifth that made it 6-3 and a sacrifice fly in the ninth to make it 6-5.
After the Nishida sacrifice fly for the second out, Colby Shade tripled into right field and scored on a throwing error by second baseman Drew Bowser.
Logan Mercado, the second Oregon pitcher, ate up the bulk of the innings for the bullpen, going 4 1/3 innings. Josh Mollerus (2-2), the fifth pitcher, got the win, allowing two hits and three walks with two wild pitches in 2 2/3 innings. He gave up a leadoff single in the bottom of the 10th and hit a batter with two outs but got Alberto Rios to fly out to end the game.
Eddie Park had three hits for Stanford, Rios had had two doubles and Carter Graham had a home run and a double, driving in three runs. Brandt Pacer (2-1), the third of five Stanford pitchers, took the loss.
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