The Oregon Ducks’ NCAA tournament run took a shocking turn Friday night as Utah Valley University upset the No. seed Ducks 6-5 in Eugene, marking UVU’s first-ever NCAA tournament win over a ranked opponent Utah Valley jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the third inning and never trailed, capitalizing on early struggles from Oregon’s pitching staff..
Oregon mounted a late rally, highlighted by Drew Smith’s second home run of the game in the eighth inning, cutting the deficit to 6-4 The most dramatic moment came when Anson Aroz attempted to score on a sacrifice fly, colliding with the Utah Valley catcher at home plate. After a lengthy video review, officials ruled Aroz out for “malicious intent” in the collision, ejecting him from the game and suspending him for the Ducks’ next matchup The run was wiped off the board, keeping Utah Valley ahead.
Oregon managed to score once more in the ninth, but their comeback fell just short as Utah Valley held on for the upset victory The Ducks now face a must-win elimination game against Cal Poly to keep their postseason hopes alive, while Utah Valley advances in the Eugene Regional.
