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Baseball vs. Northwestern State -
Oregon Ducks baseball has been lighting up the scoreboard as of late. Last weekend’s series against Washington State saw the Ducks score 14 and 13 runs in the final two games of the series against the Cougars.
Oregon’s double digit offensive output continued in yesterday’s series-opening contest against the Northwestern State Demons. The Ducks popped off six home runs en route to a 16-1 thrashing of NW State.
— Oregon Duck Baseball (@OregonBaseball) March 22, 2023
A couple of vets get it started vs. Northwestern State this weekend before the freshman goes in game three.
Notes | https://t.co/qvVh08Jmsr
Tickets | https://t.co/wzbgTAn1T5#GoDucks | #SeeYouAtPK pic.twitter.com/2GWiGMdi3k
Oregon decided to lean more toward the veteran end where starting pitching was concerned this weekend. In the early season, the Ducks have been feeling out their very talented freshman pitchers. For this weekend’s games, Oregon decided to initially rely upon veteran throwers Jace Stoffal and Logan Mercado. The Sunday game will be interesting and presumably will feature one of the freshmen to start - but one never knows.
Cal Carver picked up the NWS start, and initially both he and Stoffal pitched blanks for the first two innings.
Northwestern State struck first with a sacrifice fly that scored a runner in the top of the third inning. Yeah, nice try, because Oregon blew the game open with a six run bottom of the third. The runs began with a Gavin Grant solo home run.
.@gavingrant__ leadoff solo home run from the third inning. #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/x6u8FleHEU
— Oregon Duck Baseball (@OregonBaseball) March 25, 2023
After an out, Coby Shade knocked out a double - as he is wont to do; is Shade Mr. Double? - and then Drew Cowley walked. A double steal put shade and Cowley on second and third...and just in time for a Sabin Ceballos 3 RBI homer to left center field.
.@20_sabin three run homer from the third inning. #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/hgNHXoIKl7
— Oregon Duck Baseball (@OregonBaseball) March 25, 2023
And the Ducks were up 4-1. They weren’t done; a Tanner Smith single was followed by a Jacob Walsh home run, and the Ducks were literally running the Demons out of PK Park.
Jacob Walsh has become the hitter that one had an inking he could be. Last season, I was somewhat dismayed at his predisposition to chase pitches in the dirt. Walsh has talent, and that was clear last season. He appears to have matured as a hitter and the Oregon Ducks are better for it. Walsh is the real deal. Jacob Walsh has had an outstanding season thus far.
Oregon ended the third up 6-1.
After allowing an earned run in the third, Jace Stoffal was solid for his remaining three innings of pitching, which is what the Ducks wanted and needed from him. Stoffal would pitch six innings, and would finish with only one run off of five hits, with three Ks and three walks. It was very much a solid performance that Oregon really needed from their starter.
Meanwhile, the Ducks bats made Stoffal’s job easier...but let’s not be disparaging of Stoffal’s performance, because what he brought was pitch perfect.
Stoffal blanked the Demons in the 4th-5th-6th innings, and Oregon piled on the runs. In the fifth, Gavin Grant knocked off a triple and scored off the Rikuu Nishida ground-out sacrifice single.
B4 | Ducks get one as @A5D0l drives in a run.#GoDucks
— Oregon Duck Baseball (@OregonBaseball) March 25, 2023
NSU 1
Oregon 7 pic.twitter.com/WXRaLCAF4E
In the bottom of the fifth, Josiah Cromwick got in on the action and popped of a 2 RBI double to put Oregon up 9-1.
B5 | Ducks add two to their lead on the @Josiahzzc double. #GoDucks
— Oregon Duck Baseball (@OregonBaseball) March 25, 2023
NSU 1
Oregon 9 pic.twitter.com/1P0VOBrvCZ
In the sixth inning, the Duck rained homers again to pas their lead. Gavin Grant walked, Colby Shade walked, and Sabin Ceballos killed his second home run of the day to bring them home.
.@20_sabin second three run shot of the day. #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/OjRjIAZ2Zq
— Oregon Duck Baseball (@OregonBaseball) March 25, 2023
Oregon was up 12-1, and not quite finished, because Tanner Smith had something to say.
.@tannerr_smith solo shot to left. #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/g2bL3EoJEi
— Oregon Duck Baseball (@OregonBaseball) March 25, 2023
The seventh inning was silent. Dylan McShade stepped in on relief for Stoffal and kept the Demon off the board. Oregon was quiet in the 7th. Jacob Hughes came in for McShade in the eighth and kept NWS off the board. Meanwhile, these Ducks were not done with the offensive onslaught. In the bottom of the eighth inning, a Dominic Hellman 3 RBI HR would bring us to our final score of 16-1.
.@hellmandominic three run shot for his first career homer. #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/PT06yZuDkW
— Oregon Duck Baseball (@OregonBaseball) March 25, 2023
Tanner Smith became the Oregon hit leader on this night. He exemplifies what it means to be an Oregon baseball Duck.
@tannerr_smith postgame after breaking the Oregon program record for career hits. #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/ZgAvKWfhjk
— Oregon Duck Baseball (@OregonBaseball) March 25, 2023
The Ducks play a double-header today against NWU. The first game is at 12:05 pm PT and is on Oregon Live Stream. The second game starts at 4:05 pm PT and is also on Oregon Live Stream. Logan Mercado starts the first game, and freshman Leo Uelman starts the second game.
Softball vs. UCLA
You could not ask for a better start against #3 UCLA. The Bruins trotted out their star pitcher, Magan Fairaimo - who really torched the Ducks last season - but Fairaimo looked more mortal than last season and Oregon’s Morgan Scott pitched perhaps the finest game of her career.
Scotty pitched a shutout of the #3 UCLA Bruins, and looked dominant in the effort. She pitched a complete game, with only two hits and one walk, with four strikeouts. Scotty blanked the #3 Bruins in a masterful performance.
An tonight by @Morgan_Scotty11 #GoDucks | #Version5 pic.twitter.com/1yk2ptay6K
— Oregon Softball (@OregonSB) March 25, 2023
Oregon struck paydirt in the first inning, when Terra McGowan dinked Fairaimo for a home run.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM! @terramcgowan11's ninth bomb of the season gives Oregon a 1-0 lead over No. 3 UCLA!
— Oregon Softball (@OregonSB) March 25, 2023
@Pac12Network #GoDucks | #Version5 pic.twitter.com/PV2KTJZl9h
Scotty pitched very well, but all great pitching performances need great defense to make it happen, and the Ducks were so very solid on the night.
.@_ariel_carlson goes all out in LF for the grab!
— Oregon Softball (@OregonSB) March 25, 2023
@Pac12Network #GoDucks | #Version5 pic.twitter.com/MOXzlkHtid
Morgan Scott brought the heat, and UCLA was not up to the task.
.@Morgan_Scotty11 opens the game with a strikeout and strands a walk at 1st base
— Oregon Softball (@OregonSB) March 25, 2023
No score going to B1.
@Pac12Network #GoDucks | #Version5 pic.twitter.com/d6Ldrsszzl
The Ducks added another run in the third inning.
After a single by @hanndelgado44 and a walk by @Allee_Bunker, Oregon takes advantage of a UCLA error to tack on a run!
— Oregon Softball (@OregonSB) March 25, 2023
2-0 Ducks going to T4.
@Pac12Network
#GoDucks | #Version5 pic.twitter.com/xaO0WjANR3
I’m afraid that I don’t have video for a Ducks pop-up that was fair on the first base line and ruled foul. This is the second time in as many series that Pac-12 officiating has been far less than stellar. The officials totally screwed up a call last weekend that robbed the Ducks of a run; it is fortunate that Oregon has been able to shrug off the officiating offenses and win games.
Oregon struck again in the fifth inning. Hannah Delgado reached scoring base on a UCLA error, and then a Terra McGowan double scored Delgado.
.@terramcgowan11 strikes again!
— Oregon Softball (@OregonSB) March 25, 2023
RBI double to make it 3-0. Ducks still with two in scoring position and nobody out.
@Pac12Network #GoDucks | #Version5 pic.twitter.com/pKUVSHVRcz
That brought us to our final score of 3-0. But really, you can’t say enough about Scotty’s magnificent pitching performance.
.@Morgan_Scotty11 is DEALIN'
— Oregon Softball (@OregonSB) March 25, 2023
Fourth K of the night to set the Bruins down in order. That's 6⃣ scoreless innings for the senior.
M6 | ORE 3, UCLA 0
https://t.co/sTbmPjqDhQ#GoDucks | #Version5 pic.twitter.com/q7445iUj7N
These Ducks suffered last season because Stevie Hansen was their only pitcher that could perform. Hansen is still a great pitcher, so let’s not disparage her. But Morgan Scott is showing great form, and she just might be the ace for the Ducks. Certainly, Scotty has brought to this Ducks team what they needed from a starter. It’s very difficult not to be excited about the direction this Ducks team is headed.
This is what an admittedly proud coach Lombardi had to say after the game:
Softball’s second game against UCLA starts at 2:00 pm PT in Jane Sanders Stadium. That game is on the Pac-12 Network.
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