The Oregon baseball season isn’t done yet.
Facing a two-run deficit with one out in the ninth, the Ducks rallied to tie Xavier at 8 and won 11-8 an inning later, advancing to face Vanderbilt tonight at 5 p.m.
In the ninth, Kyle Garlick singled to score Mitchell Tolman, who reached base on an error by Xavier shortstop Andre Jernigan. Jernigan slipped up again on Garlick’s base hit, allowing Tyler Baumgartner to score the tying run. Garlick hit a three-run home run in the eighth to bring the ducks within two at 8-6.
Aaron Payne walked and stole second to begin the 10th (his third steal of the day) and scored on another Xavier error. Nick Catalano bunted and reached first safely on the play and scored on Tolman’s triple to left-center. Three batters and two pitching changes later, Austin Grebeck drove home Tolman with an infield single to make it 11-8.
Jake Reed retired the side in order in the bottom of the 10th and the Ducks kept their season alive.
Garlick and Shaun Chase each went 2-for-5. Garlick finished with five RBIs and Shaun Chase drove in two with a first inning home run, his 14th of the season. Tolman went 3-for-6 with three runs.
Up 3-0 after three innings, Oregon starter Brando Tessar kept Xavier off the scoreboard until the sixth. With two outs, Derek Hasenbeck drove in a run with a single. Tessar was replaced by Jordan Spencer, who gave up an RBI single to Brian Bruening and a three-run homer to Jernigan, putting Xavier ahead 5-3.
Xavier tacked on three more in the seventh on Daniel Rizzie’s three-run home run off Garrett Cleavinger.
Tessar went 5.2 innings and gave up three runs on seven hits with no walks and five strikeouts. Spencer and Jack Karraker combined to pitch 0.1 innings and gave up three runs on four hits. Cleavinger and Reed (4-1) threw the final four innings.
Trent Astle started and pitched seven innings for Xavier, and Adam Hall (5-4) gave up six runs (two earned) on three hits and five walks in 2.1 innings.
Oregon now needs to beat Vanderbilt, who is yet to lose in Regionals, twice to advance to the Super Regional round of the College World Series.The Ducks lost 7-2 to the Commodores Saturday and will play Monday if they win tonight.
Follow Madison Guernsey on Twitter @guernseymd