EUGENE (Interstat) – Oregon’s Brayden Jaksa crushed a three-run homer and Naulivou Lauaki Jr. followed with a solo shot in the fourth inning Friday, lifting the Ducks to a 4-3 victory over Southern California at PK Park.

The win evened the Big Ten series at a game apiece after the Trojans won the opener 2-1 in 11 innings Thursday. Oregon improved to 37-15 overall and 42-13 for Southern California.

Will Sanford earned the win for the Ducks, allowing two earned runs on three hits over six innings while striking out seven. Sanford rebounded from a rough outing May 8 at UCLA, when he gave up five earned runs in three innings of a 11-1 loss. He worked around a two-run second inning by Southern California and handed a 4-3 lead to the bullpen after the fourth.

Gavin Lauridsen took the loss for the Trojans, pitching 3 1/3 scoreless innings of relief with three strikeouts but surrendering the tying and go-ahead runs after inheriting a 3-0 deficit. Grant Govel started for Southern California and threw 4 2/3 innings, allowing three earned runs on no hits – a bizarre line built on a critical error and two walks that set up Jaksa’s blast.

Southern California scored first, pushing across three runs in the top of the second inning. J. Basseer tripled to left-center and scored on a groundout by Au. Lopez. After a walk to A. Lamb, W. Carpentier singled and W. Urbon singled to center, plating Lamb. Urbon advanced to second on a wild pitch, but the rally ended with a groundout.

Sanford settled down after that, retiring eight of the next nine batters he faced. The Ducks’ offense broke through in the bottom of the fourth. R. Cooney reached on a throwing error by Trojans third baseman Maximo Martinez, advancing to second. After a groundout moved Cooney to third, D. Smith walked. Jaksa then launched a 3-0 pitch over the left-field wall – his first home run of the game – scoring Cooney, Smith and himself to tie the game at 3. On the very next pitch, Lauaki homered to center field, giving Oregon a 4-3 lead.

The Trojans threatened in the seventh inning. Reliever Collin Clarke entered for Sanford and allowed a single by Martinez and a single by Lamb to put runners on first and second. After a walk loaded the bases, Clarke struck out Urbon. Luke Morgan came on and got K. Takeuchi to pop out to second, ending the inning.

Southern California cut the lead to 4-3 in the eighth. With Jonah Barkoff on the mound, I. Cadena walked and Basseer walked. Devin Bell replaced Barkoff and hit Au. Lopez to load the bases with one out. Martinez grounded into a fielder’s choice, scoring Cadena, but Lopez was out at second. A. Lamb struck out swinging to strand two runners.

Bell then worked a clean ninth inning, striking out two of the three batters he faced. He struck out pinch-hitter D. Velazquez and Takeuchi to end the game, earning his second save of the series.

For Oregon, Clarke pitched two-thirds of an inning, allowing two hits but no runs with two strikeouts. Morgan faced one batter and got a popout. Bell threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Devin Bell and Collin Clarke combined to hold the Trojans to two hits over the final two innings.

For Southern California, Martinez went 1 for 4 with an RBI. The Trojans managed only five hits total, while Oregon had four.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Southern California 8, Oregon 7. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Oregon with a 56.20 percent probability to win. Southern California had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of plus 1.5. The series concludes Saturday.