Ducks open UW series with Healy walk-off

EUGENE, Ore. - Ryon Healy has done just about everything during his career at Oregon, but until Thursday night the junior had never hit a walk-off home run to win a game for the Ducks.

That changed when the Ducks' leading hitter lined a two-run homer in the bottom of the 10th inning over the left field wall to give Oregon a 5-3 win over Washington in a Pac-12 Conference game at PK Park. Healy became the first Duck to hit a walk-off home run since baseball was reinstated before the 2009 season.

Healy's home run, his fifth of the season, scored Tyler Baumgartner who extended the inning to bring Healy to the plate with a two-out walk.

It wasn't the first time in the game Baumgartner extended an inning and Healy responded with a big hit. The duo combined for more heroics in the bottom of the eighth inning when Healy delivered a two- out single to score Baumgartner from second and eventually force the game into extra innings. Baumgartner started the rally with a two-out bloop double down the left-field line that dropped when the Huskies had miscommunication between the left fielder and the shortstop on the play.

Healy was 3-for-5 in the game with three RBI and a run scored, while Baumgartner went 1-for-3 with three runs scored. Freshman Mitchell Tolman was 2-for-4 with a RBI and a run scored.

All-American closer Jimmie Sherfy (2-0) picked up the win retiring the Huskies in order in the 10th. Starter Jake Reed allowed three runs, two earned, on five hits in eight innings while striking out five. Garrett Cleavinger pitched a scoreless ninth.

Oregon (20-6, 6-1 Pac-12) got on the board early scoring for just the third time this season in the first inning and the first time with Reed on the mound. Tolman doubled scoring Baumgartner from first and then came home to score on a RBI single by Scott Heineman to give the Ducks a 2-0 lead.

The Huskies rallied to take a 3-2 lead with one run in the fourth and two runs in the fifth. Ryan Wiggins pulled Washington within one with a RBI in the fourth, while Joe Meggs and Robert Pehl each picked up a RBI in the fifth.

Trevor Dunlap (0-1) got the loss for the Huskies allowing two runs on one hit in 0.2 innings. Washington (6-17, 2-5 Pac-12) starter Jared Fisher gave up just two runs in six innings.

The Ducks and Huskies will play game two of their three-game series Friday night at 6 p.m. at PK Park. Tommy Thorpe will take the mound for Oregon, while Austin Voth is scheduled to pitch for Washington.