Tyler Baumgartner’s eighth inning RBI double was the difference in the Oregon baseball team’s 4-3 win over Seattle University in the second game of Tuesday’s doubleheader.
The Ducks struggled to convert with runners in scoring position all night, leaving 11 men on base. Baumgartner drove in Mark Karaviotis from second with two outs to break the spell, allowing Oregon (10-3) to sweep the Redhawks (5-8).
The game-winner came off of left-handed submarine pitcher Will Dennis (1-1). Seattle’s bullpen hadn’t allowed a run in 6.2 innings of work, and Baumgartner admitted he had never seen a pitcher like Dennis.
“I’ve never seen a lefty submarine guy in my life before so I wasn’t really sure what to expect,” Baumgartner said. “I saw him really well and when he came with the fastball I was able to stay short and poke it through the middle.”
Bumgartner’s late inning heroics capped off a 3-for-5 game at the plate, and 6-for-10 overall for the day.
Oregon plated its first three runs in the opening frame. Austin Grebeck walked and advanced to third on Baumgartner’s single up the middle, setting the table for Mitchell Tolman. Tolman hit a line drive into the right field corner, resulting in a two-run triple. Kyle Garlick followed with a base hit to center, scoring Tolman.
Seattle looked poised to have a big inning in the second when it loaded the bases with no outs. Consecutive sacrifice flies by Colin Peterson and Sam Finfer put the Redhawks on the scoreboard, but Oregon would survive the inning with its lead intact.
The Ducks’ string of poor hitting with runners on began in the fourth when Grebeck flied out with the bases loaded to end the inning. In each of the next five innings, including Baumgartner’s important eighth, Oregon stranded runners in scoring position.
“I think it’s contagious and it’s confidence and it’s going to be dependent on who’s up there,” head coach George Horton said on timely hitting. “Our guys are really, really good young men and they have the will to win … Any time you don’t let the game come to you and you force it, I think it’s more difficult to play a very difficult game to begin with.”
Seattle’s pitching staff deserved a lot of credit, though, according to Horton and Tolman. After starter Skyler Genger allowed three runs in his only inning, three relievers held Oregon to one run on seven hits.
“I mean, they’re good pitchers and I think they did a good job of keeping guys off balance,” Tolman said. “They threw a lot of offspeed and I think we eventually sat back on it and started hitting the ball where it was pitched.”
“I think guys are making good pitches,” Horton said. “That left-hander they brought in first was crafty. He was pitching backwards … then the specialty guy we won the game off of was really nasty.”
Oregon starting pitcher Brando Tessar lasted just three innings but was relieved by four members of Oregon’s bullpen, who combined to throw six innings, allowing one unearned run on three hits while striking out 12 and walking two.
Jake Reed (2-0) picked up the win.
Oregon continues its homestand by welcoming Ohio State for a three-game weekend series. Seattle goes home to host Cal Poly.