Thursday night at PK Park delivered a classic pitchers' duel that had all the drama of postseason baseball—even if the ending left Oregon fans heartbroken. The Ducks hosted the USC Trojans in the first game of their series, looking to build momentum heading into next week's Big Ten tournament.
USC struck first in the top of the second inning with a sacrifice bunt that plated a run, giving the Trojans a 1-0 lead. And for the next several innings, that was all the scoring either team could manage. This wasn't just any pitching duel—it was a showcase of elite talent on both sides.
Oregon's Cal Scolari was outstanding, allowing just one run on four hits over five innings while striking out five. On most nights, that performance would be enough to secure a win. But Thursday was different, because he was matched against USC's Mason Edwards—one of the most dominant pitchers in college baseball this season and a projected mid-to-late first-round pick in this June's MLB draft. Edwards lived up to the hype, surrendering only four hits over six innings while fanning 12 Ducks.
Oregon's offense remained quiet for nearly the entire game—until the bottom of the ninth inning. With one out, Naulivou Lauaki Jr. stepped to the plate and crushed the first pitch he saw over the right-field wall, tying the game at 1-1 and sending it to extra innings. It was the kind of clutch moment that defines March baseball.
Both teams went down in order in the tenth, but USC answered back in the top of the eleventh with a solo home run of their own, reclaiming a 2-1 lead. Oregon had their chance in the bottom half: Drew Smith and Brayden Jaksa both singled to left, and Burke-Lee Mabeus drew an intentional walk to load the bases with just one out. But the rally fell short—a strikeout looking and a flyout to shallow center field ended the game, sealing a 2-1 USC victory in 11 innings.
It's a tough loss for the Ducks, who left the bases loaded in the final frame. But games like these—where every pitch matters and the margin for error is razor-thin—are what make college baseball so compelling. Oregon showed fight, resilience, and the kind of pitching that can carry a team deep into tournament play. If they can bring that same energy to the plate, the Big Ten tournament could be something special.