Oregon rallied from a four-run deficit but was done in by the long ball in its opening game of Regional play.
Brennan Milone went 3 for 5 with two doubles and a home run for the Ducks, who rallied from a 6-2 deficit to tie the game in the seventh. But Matt Frey drilled a two-run home run to right center in the top of the eighth to put Michigan back on top for good in an 8-6 win over UO Friday night at Patterson Stadium in Louisville.
The Ducks (35-24) will play Southeast Missouri State in an elimination game at 9 a.m. PT Saturday.
The Wolverines (33-26) advance to face host Louisville at 1 p.m. Saturday, with the winner advancing to the Regional final.
Michigan scored in the second via an RBI fielder’s choice that was nearly a double play.
Jimmy Obertop hit a tow-run home run to right that made it 3-0 in the second and ended the day for Christian Ciuffetelli, who allowed three runs on two hits, two walks and a hit batter over 2.2 innings in a no-decision.
Oregon got on the board in the fourth as Anthony Hall doubled and an error allowed a run to score. He came in on a wild pitch to make it 3-2.
Obertop got the runs make for UM with his second home run of the game, a two-run moonshot to left, and Joey Velazquez added an RBI single off RJ Gordon (2.1 IP, three runs, six hits, one walk) to make it 6-2.
Oregon chipped away at the deficit as Milone hit an RBI double in the bottom of the fifth, Josiah Cromwick hit an RBI double in the sixth. Then Milone homered and Hall doubled in the seventh to tie it at 6.
Mercado came in with one on in the eighth and got a strikeout before Frey teed off to give the Wolverines the lead back.
Rio Britton (4-1) took the loss while allowing a run on a hit and a walk in 1.0 inning of work. Mercado allowed a run on two hits and struck out four in 2.0 innings.
Cameron Weston allowed just one hit over 2.1 winnings innings and retired the last seven Oregon hitters.
The Oregonian/OregonLive will update this story.
Original Article: Source