The No. 6-ranked Oregon Ducks (32-13) evened their weekend bout with Michigan State (24-20) at a game apiece, picking up a 13-5 win over the Spartans on Saturday, May 3.

After a 2-0 loss Friday that saw the Ducks carved up by Michigan State ace Joseph Dzierwa to the tune of 11 strikeouts against just three hits in a complete game shutout, Oregon’s bats came alive for 18 knocks in game two. Six of the Ducks’ 18 hits went for extra bases, while Michigan State’s five pitchers punched out just six.

Same faces, new places 

While Oregon’s lineup card featured its usual suspects, the defensive positioning saw a handful of rare changes.

Mason Neville got a break from patrolling centerfield, leading off the Ducks batting order as the designated hitter. Everyday left fielder Anson Aroz was bumped to center in place of Neville, with first baseman Jacob Walsh played six innings of left field and Dominic Hellman manning the cold corner. The shakeup led to Oregon tying its season-high error total of three. Both Walsh and Hellman were responsible for one apiece, with the third credited to second baseman Ryan Cooney, his fourth of the season.

East Lansing hit parade

The flurry of runs by the Ducks made up for the rare fielding errors.

Eight of Oregon’s nine starters wrapped up the win over Michigan State with multi-hit days. Shortstop Maddox Molony (0-for-4, 1 BB) was the only bat in the Ducks order to not do so.

Neville lived up to the name of his DH position for the day, going 3-for-5 at the dish with two home runs, four RBI, one walk and a strikeout. The two tanks represented Neville’s nation-leading 22nd and 23rd of the season and extended his ownership of Oregon’s single-season home run record.

Walsh (2-for-6, 1 RBI) and Aroz (2-for-3, 2 RBI) added a bomb each, while doubles from Cooney and Hellman rounded out the extra-base hits for the Ducks. Cooney’s 3-for-5 day pushed his batting average to .354 this season, the highest on Oregon’s roster. Right fielder Drew Smith and catcher Burke-Lee Mabeus each accounted for two hits in five at-bats.

Smith’s pair of stolen bases accounted for half of Oregon’s total on the day, being joined by one apiece from Mabeus and Walsh. The Ducks have been running wild as of late, swiping 35 bags on 41 tries since the start of April.

On the bump

Right-hander Collin Clarke (4-2) made the start Saturday and earned the win behind six solid innings. The sophomore tossed 95 pitches, letting up five hits and punching out five Spartans. Four runs came across home plate with Clarke on the hill, three of which were earned.

Clarke’s Spartan counterpart, righty Tate Farquhar (2-2), took the loss after allowing five runs in three innings of work.

Oregon’s Ian Umlandt earned his first-career save against Michigan State, finishing off the game with three innings of relief. The junior lefty allowed four hits and one earned run, punching out a single batter. Umlandt is the only reliever to see action against the Spartans through two games, with Ducks Friday night starter Grayson Grinsell tossing eight innings in the loss.

On Deck 

The Saturday win by Oregon sets up a Sunday rubber match between the two squads. The Ducks will send right-hander Jason Reitz (2-0, 4.02 ERA) to the mound for Sunday’s finale, while Michigan State has yet to name a starter. First pitch is slated for 8:35 a.m. on Sunday, May 4, in East Lansing, Michigan.