We don't know who the Bastard Huskies are starting at pitcher, but we know that our Friday night ace, Will Sanford will be on the hill for Our Beloved Ducks.

It is supposed to be warm up there today....is their park conducive to home runs as PK Park is?

3-1 Huskies after one inning. Brayden Jaksa was plinked, then got to third on an throwing error to first base, and then was driven home by a sac-bunt down the first baseline by Drew Smith.

This is not a good night for Oregon's Will Sanford to be off. He gave up a hit, a double that cleared the bases, a plink and a walk. Yikes!

4-1 Washington after two innings. Nothing on offense.

Oregon's Will Sanford is not in control tonight, as he gave up two walks and a run on a wild pitch. Damn.

4-1 Washington after three innings. Nothing on offense.

Oregon's Will Sanford was good this inning, but he is nearly at 70 pitches. Losing to the Bastard Huskies grinds my stomach...how much can I watch?

The good news? We still six innings left.

4-2 Washington after four innings. Angel Laya got on base due to a fielding error, moved to second by a Burke-Lee Mabeus walk, and then we saw Naulivou Lauaki hit a weird bounce through the pitcher's legs that spun into the outfield while Laya scored from second.

Oregon's Will Sanford gave up two base runners at one out, and his sad night ended as Luke Morgan came in to relieve him. Morgan got the outs!

4-2 Washington after five innings. Nothing on offense this inning.

Toby Twist came to pitch for the Ducks, and kept them scoreless in the fifth.....due to a sweet play by Drew Smith.

4-2 Washington after six innings. Nothing on offense this inning.

Oregon's Toby Twist allowed bases-loaded, but pitched his way out of it!

4-2 Washington after six innings. Nothing on offense this inning. Of course Husky pitchers are having their best game....of course the crowd is the biggest this season, and of course their fielder robs a two-run homer on a ball the just cleared the wall.

Gabe Howard came in and pitched a scoreless inning for Oregon. Since Sanford left after 3 and third innings...relief pitchers have held them scoreless. We got to get the bats going!

End of the eighth inning....6-4 Ducks!

Ryan Cooney walks, and Angel Laya hits deep to RF for a hit that puts Cooney on third. Laya steals second, and then Burke-Lee Mabeus gets a beautiful swing under a hanging slider to blow it over the RF wall for a 3-Run Homer! First lead since the first half of the first inning!

Then Naulivou Lauaki hits a massive solo homer over the CF wall--wow!

Tanner Bradley comes in and gives up a walk, but generates a sweet double-play. What a clutch guy for us at key moments...

Ducks win 6-4!

Oregon had chances to score more as they stranded two in the first half of the ninth inning.

Tanner Bradley came out and mowed Washington down the ninth with just 25 pitches for both the 8th and 9th inning. He'll be there for us on Sunday?

The Ducks' offense finally came alive against opposing relief pitchers, but after Sanford gave up four runs--the bullpen gave up nothing to keep us in the game!

This group of young pitchers are improving and turning the corner at just the right time...

For as old as I am....I should not be as crestfallen when we're losing to Washington, or so joyous when we're winning...

But I never said I was noble.

OREGON ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | FRIDAY, MAY 1, 2026

BASEBALL | @OregonBaseball

 

Ducks Rally Late to Win at Washington

 

SEATTLE, Wash. — Burke-Lee Mabeus and Naulivou Lauaki Jr. belted back-to-back eighth-inning home runs while four Oregon relief pitchers combined to throw 5.2 scoreless innings to lead the No. 13 Ducks to a 6-4 come-from-behind win over Washington at Husky Stadium on Friday night.

 

Washington led 4-2 in eighth inning thanks to a pair of spectacular defensive plays by the Huskies late in the game. Right-fielder Aiden Dougherty robbed Jack Brooks of what would have been a game-tying two-run home run in the seventh inning. In the eighth, shortstop Sam DeCarlo made a leaping grab to take away a hit from Drew Smith that would have put two runners on with no outs.

 

The two defensive plays only put off the pain Oregon was going to inflict on the Huskies. After Smith was robbed, Angel Laya picked up his second hit of the game, putting runners at the corners. After the second out of the inning, Mabeus stepped to the plate and launched a three-run home run over the right-field wall to give Oregon the lead. Lauaki followed four pitches later with a monster shot that traveled 433 feet with an exit velocity of 113 miles per hour.

Tanner Bradley

Tanner Bradley came out of the pen to get the final six outs to pick up his first career save. Gabe Howard (1-0) tossed a scoreless seventh inning to pick up the win.

 

How It Happened: Oregon (34-11, 16-6 Big Ten) took advantage of some Washington (20-25, 9-13 Big Ten) mistakes to take an early lead in the top of the first. After Brayden Jaksa reached on a hit-by-pitch, he moved to third on a throwing error on a Ryan Cooney ground ball to put runners on the corners. Smith executed a squeeze bunt to score Jaksa for a 1-0 lead.

 

Washington responded with three in its half of the first, before adding a fourth run in the second without the benefit of a hit.

 

Oregon cut the lead to two with an unearned run in the fourth. Angel Laya reached on an error before moving to second on a Maddox Molony ground out. After a walk, Lauaki banked a ground ball off the pitcher which ricocheted through the hole between first and second, allowing Laya to score.

 

Oregon had to go to the bullpen in the fourth inning after a pair of runners reached with one out. Luke Morgan came in to retire both of the batters he faced to get out of the jam.

Toby Twist

 

Toby Twist entered the game to start the bottom of the fifth. He tossed a pair of scoreless innings, escaping a bases-loaded jam in the seventh with a strikeout to end the frame. That brought on Howard and Bradley to wrap up the win.

 

Box Score Notes: Cooney returned to the lineup after missing Tuesday’s game against Gonzaga … Tyler Jones made his second consecutive start in left field and the second of his career … Oregon starter Will Sanford lasted just 3.1 innings, his second shortest outing of the season … The Ducks have won six in a row against the Huskies … Lauaki led Oregon with three hits while Laya had two …

 

On Deck: Game two of the series is Saturday at 7:05 p.m. (Big Ten Network). TV!

 

Delightful Diamond coverage, thank you.

Also, last night in Seattle, both of the UW football split squads lost the Spring game. Fortunately, a veterinarian was in attendance.😁 WOOF!

Did the Vet euthanize or just neuter?