Baseball Recap: Ducks Take First Game of Series, Tame Broncos 6-2

EUGENE, Oregon-- Kyle Kasser and Morgan McCullogh provided the offense from the top of the lineup, and the pitching-staff-by-committee held Santa Clara to four hits as the Ducks took the first game of their four-game series with the Broncos Monday evening 6-2 at PK Park.

Oregon (8-4) scored three runs in each of the second and third innings, thanks to a pair RBI singles from junior first baseman Kasser, an RBI sacrifice fly and a two run triple from freshman second baseman McCullogh, and an RBI single from freshman third baseman Spencer Speer, all off Santa Clara (3-9) starter Jacob Steffens (1-2), who went five in absorbing the loss. Through twelve games, Kasser is now leading the Ducks with sixteen hits and a stellar .356 batting average while also driving in seven runs.

That was all the offense Oregon needed, as the Ducks’ pitching staff shut down the Broncos’ offense all night, allowing only two unearned runs on four hits while striking out eleven. Freshman right-hander James Acuna started the game, but only went four innings and didn’t figure in the decision. Sophomore righty Parker Kelly (1-0) took over in the top of the fifth and pitched two perfect innings to pick up his first victory of the season. Senior Cooper Stiles and junior Brac Warren pitched the eighth and ninth in mop-up duty.

The four-game series resumes Friday evening, with the first pitch of game two scheduled for 6:00 pm.