MacIver Blasts Huskies Past Ducks, 12-3

Sunday, March 26

Eugene, Ore.

2:00 PM

University of Washington

14-9, 0

Oregon

15-6, 0

Washington

Oregon

March 26, 2017 | Baseball

Box Score Box: UW 12, Oregon 3

By: Brian Tom

EUGENE, Ore. – Sophomore third baseman Willie MacIver hit a first inning grand slam home run to set the tone for the 22^nd-ranked Huskies (14-9, 4-2 Pac-12) as they won the final game of their series, 12-3, against Oregon (15-6, 4-2) to avoid a sweep at PK Park on Sunday.

MacIver was 3-for-4 with a home run, double, single and five RBIs to lead a break-out game offensively for the Huskies. The Huskies' 12 runs were a season high.

After struggling in the first two games of the series to get a hit with runners in scoring position, MacIver delivered in a big way in the first inning. With the bases loaded after a single and a pair of walks, he took a 2-2 offering from Ducks' starter Zack Noll (1-1) and launched a majestic shot out of the reach of a leaping A.J. Balta and over the left field wall.

"He threw me a low-and-in changeup and I just went for it," MacIver said. "I put the barrel on it and it just went out."

Off the bat, MacIver didn't think he hit it out.

"I saw the outfielder ranging back and I thought it'd be at least a sacrifice fly, which would have got the job done and I would have taken it," he said. "It's a big ballpark and when I saw it leave, I was excited."

It was MacIver's second home run of the year and the first Husky grand slam since Chris Baker, April 17, 2016 vs. UCLA.

The Huskies didn't let up offensively as they sent eight batters to the plate and scored four more times in the third inning to break the game open. The Huskies loaded the bases before an out was recorded when MacIver stepped up and delivered a single to pick up his fifth RBI of the game. Nick Kahle hit a sacrifice fly, Gage Matuszak doubled home another run and Levi Jordan made it 8-0 with a sacrifice fly.

Kahle made the score 9-0 in the fifth on a ground out to pick up his second RBI of the game.

Sophomore Joe DeMers was the beneficiary of the offensive outpouring. He cruised through the first five innings before giving up a two-out RBI double in the sixth inning and also found trouble again in the seventh inning.

With the rain pouring down, he hit a batter and walked two to load the bases with no outs. After a ground out forced in a run, DeMers was lifted in favor of Greg Minier.

Minier walked the first two batters he saw to force in another run before the grounds crew fixed the mound. The senior lefty was clearly more comfortable as he recorded a pair of strikeouts to end the threat and keep the score at 9-3.

DeMers' final line was 6 1/3 innings, five hits, three earned runs allowed, two walks, three strikeouts and he improved to 3-1 on the season.

Washington added three more runs in the ninth inning to reach their season high for runs scored. Morgan collected his third hit of the game and drove in two with a double. Jordan sent Morgan home later for his fourth run scored on a RBI single.

UW had nine hits with MacIver and Morgan accounting for two-thirds of them with three hits each.

"I give our guys credit. This is a tough ballpark to score runs," Coach Lindsay Meggs said. "I'm proud of the way our guys fought back. We could have rolled over (after losing the first two games of the series), but our guys didn't do that. We're 4-2 (in Pac-12 play) and we're in a decent spot."

The Huskies take a break from Pac-12 play next week and face nationally ranked Baylor in Seattle at Husky Ballpark for a three-game series, Friday through Sunday.