Box Score EUGENE, Ore. --- Portland freshman Grant Sutton homered in his first collegiate at-bat, but the Oregon Ducks pulled away from the Pilots to claim a 10-1 non-conference win on Wednesday night at PK Park. Only three of Oregon's 10 runs were earned.
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Sutton, who was seeing his first action as a Pilot, stepped up to the plate with Portland (13-16) trailing 3-0 in the top of the second inning. The right fielder then belted the second pitch he saw over the fence in left field, pulling the Pilots within two runs of their in-state rivals.
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But that's as close as the Pilots would get as Oregon (12-11) scored one run in the bottom of the third inning before breaking open a close game with a six-run seventh. Steven Packard hit a grand slam during that seventh inning, which came after a Portland error that would have ended the inning.
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It looked good for the Pilots early as the visitors loaded the bases with only one out in the top of the first inning. But Oregon starter Kyle Robeniol remained calm and recorded consecutive strike outs to end the inning. The Ducks then rewarded their pitcher with three runs in the bottom of the frame. A.J. Balta drove in the first run with a single, while the second and third runs scored on a ground out and passed ball, respectively.
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Portland starter Jackson Lockwood (0-1) picks up his first loss of the season after allowing four runs on five hits in 4.0 innings. He did K three, and six relievers followed Lockwood on the mound.
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Oregon used eight pitchers on the night, with seven relievers each tossing an inning after Robeniol (2-2) opened the game by working two innings.
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The Ducks only out-hit the Pilots 7-5, and Portland left eight stranded on the base paths.
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The Pilots next return to the West Coast Conference with a trip to Spokane, Wash., for a three-game series with the Gonzaga Bulldogs, which begins on Friday night. First pitch on both Friday and Saturday is set for 6 p.m., while Sunday's finale will begin at 12 p.m.
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