Huskies Walk Off Winners On Matuszak's 3-Run HR

Thursday, March 24

Seattle, WA

7:00 PM

University of Washington

11-6, 0

Oregon

10-8, 0

Oregon

Washington

Photo by: Washington Athletics

March 25, 2016 | Baseball

Box Score

By: Washington Athletics

SEATTLE – Junior Gage Matuszak hit a no-doubt, three-run home run with two outs in the 10^th inning to cap a wild game with rival Oregon (10-8, 1-3 Pac-12) and send Washington (11-6, 3-1) home with a 9-6 win in the first game of a three-game series Thursday night at Husky Ballpark.

Matuszak, who entered the game in the eighth inning as a pinch hitter, took the first pitch he saw from previously untouchable Ducks' closer Stephen Nogosek over the center field fence and off the batter's eye, setting off a wild celebration at home plate and ending a 4 hour, 8-minute marathon of a ballgame.

Nogosek (1-1), who entered the night with a perfect 0.00 ERA, got off to a rocky start in the inning walking a pair of Huskies, but was poised to get out of the inning after a fly out. But the Feather River CC transfer connected for his second dramatic homer of the season and made a winner out of Greg Minier (1-0). It was the third home run of the night for the Huskies, who have a Pac-12 leading 18 on the season.

The Ducks had a chance a chance to score in the top of the 10^th, loading the bases without getting a hit, but Minier struck out Phil Craig-St. Louis to end the threat and set up Matuszak's 10^th-inning heroics.

The game was back-and-forth all night and saw both squads rally from deficits.

Husky starter Noah Bremer entered the weekend with a 1.03 ERA – the best among Pac-12 starters – but Oregon jumped on him right out of the gates and scored in each of the first three innings.

Center fielder Austin Grebeck led the game off with a single, stole second and came around to score on a two-out double by catcher Tim Susnara. In the second the Ducks made it 2-0 when Jakob Goldfarb doubled home Jake Bennett, who led off the inning with a walk.

The Dawgs got a run back in the bottom of the second when catcher Joey Morgan tagged a 2-2 pitch from Oregon starter Cole Irvin over the left-field wall for a solo home run. It was Morgan's second long ball of the year.

But, the Ducks got the run back in the third, scoring a single run to go back up 3-1. This time, the designated hitter Bennett singled home Matt Kroon from second base with two outs.

The three runs by the third inning tied a career high for earned runs allowed by Bremer. In his previous 20 starts, he had allowed three earned runs in a game twice. But, those would be the only three runs the sophomore would allow in the game.

Fortunately for Bremer, the Huskies offense came ready to play too and were able to touch up the lefty Irvin, who entered the game with a sub-2.00 ERA.

The Huskies tied it up 3-3 in the fourth on a two-run homer by Josh Cushing. The Huskies' third baseman lined the first pitch he saw the opposite way over the right field wall, scoring MJ Hubbs ahead of him, who reached on a four-pitch walk.

An inning later the Huskies scored twice to take the 5-3 lead. Designated hitter Duncan Hendrickson got things started with a double and the next batter second baseman Levi Jordan was hit by a pitch. Lead-off hitter and left fielder Kyle London followed with a single that scored Hendrickson and pushed Jordan to third base. Jordan came around to score when Jack Meggs laid down a perfectly executed squeeze bunt.

The score was still 5-3 when Bremer was lifted from the game with one out in the seventh inning. The sophomore from Berkeley, Calif. allowed six hits, walked three, struck out two and threw 105 pitches.

But the bullpen couldn't hold the lead as the Ducks scored two runs in the sixth after Bremer left to tie the game 5-5. Bennett again provided the big hit with a bases-loaded, two-run single with two outs.

Once again the Huskies had an answer in their half of the inning. After Jordan led off with a single and was sacrificed to second by London, Meggs slapped a double down the left-field line to pick up his second RBI of the game and give UW the 6-5 lead.

The advantage was short lived though as the Ducks scored an unearned run in the eighth to tie things back up at 6-6. Travis Moniot reached on a fielding error by third baseman Chris Baker to lead off the inning, stole second and came around to score on a two-out hit by Kyle Kaser.

The scored remained the same until Matuszak stepped up to the plate in the 10^th inning.

Oregon outhit Washington, 10-9, but also left 14 runners on base compared to the Huskies' six.

Cushing (2 for 4, HR, 2 RBI) and Hendrickson (2 for 3, 2B) were the only Huskies to pick up multi-hits.

The two teams continue the series Friday, with a 7:00 p.m. (Pac-12 Networks) first pitch. Friday night is Super Heroes Night at the ballpark with all fans dressed as their favorite superhero receiving a $5 ticket.

Washington 9 (11-6, 3-1), Oregon 6 (10-8, 1-3) 10 innings

ORE 111 000 210 0 –- 6 10 0
WASH 010 220 100 3 –- 9 9 2

LOB: UO 14, UW 6. Cole Irvin, Isaiah Carranza (7), Brac Warren (7), Stephen Nogosek (9) and Tim Susnara, Slade Heggen (9); Noah Bremer, Will Ballowe (7), Spencer Jones (7), Troy Rallings (8), Alex Nesbitt (10), Greg Minier (10) and Joey Morgan. W – Minier (1-0). L – Nogose (1-1). SV – none. HR – UW, Joey Morgan (2), Josh Cushing (4), Gage Matuszak (2). 3B – none. 2B – UO, Tim Susnara, Jacob Goldfarb, Kyle Kasser, Nick Catalano; UW, Duncan Hendrickson, Jack Meggs. Time – 4:08. Attendance – 598.