Jace Stoffal delivers career-best outing, lead Oregon to win over Oregon State
Since the start of last season, Oregon has been waiting for an ace to emerge from its starting rotation.
On Friday, junior right-hander Jace Stoffal looked every bit the part and delivered the best outing of his college career to lead the No. 25 Ducks to a pivotal win over Oregon State.
Oregon (20-7, 7-3 Pac-12) topped the Beavers, 2-0, at PK Park in Eugene to capture the series opener. Prior to Friday, Oregon State owned a five-game winning streak over the Ducks.
But Stoffal kept the Beavers’ bats quiet all evening. The Roseburg, Ore., native tossed 7.0 scoreless innings and held Oregon State to one hit and three walks. He matched his career high with nine strikeouts.
The only run the Ducks would need came in the fifth inning when center fielder Colby Shade ripped an RBI single to put the Ducks on the board. Later in the inning, third baseman Sabin Ceballos smashed a run-scoring double to left to push Oregon’s lead to 2-0.
From there, the Beaves had no answer for Stoffal.
In the top of the sixth, the right-hander struck out Oregon State’s two most productive hitters — Travis Bazzana and Garret Forrester — in succession to end the inning.
One frame later, Stoffal worked himself into a jam when Mason Guera cracked a leadoff single and Micah McDowell reached on an error. He got the first out of the inning when Mikey Kane popped out to center, but then walked Easton Talt to load the bases.
Stoffal buckled down from there, though. He got pinch-hitter Brady Kasper to fly out and then retired catcher Tanner Smith to end the inning.
Matt Dallas came on in the eighth in place of Stoffal and surrendered a leadoff double to Oregon State No. 9 hitter Dallas Macias. He got Bazzana to ground out to second, struck Forrester out looking, and then walked Mason Guera on four pitches.
Oregon pitching coach Jake Angier then turned to closer Josh Mollerus, who got McDowell to fly out on the first pitch he threw, ending the inning.
Mollerus stayed on in the ninth and struck out Kane, Talt, and Kasper — all swinging — to end the game.
Shade went 2-for-4 for Oregon and raised his season average to .362. Stoffal, meanwhile, trimmed his ERA to 2.62 on the year.
The Ducks and Beavers will face off for the second game of the series Saturday at 3 p.m. PT.
Oregon right-hander Logan Mercado (2-0, 7.67 ERA) is expected to get the starting nod for the Ducks. Righty Jacob Kmatz (2-4, 3.65) will start for the Beavers.
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