The long ball is making an impact for Oregon baseball through its first two games. After Matt Eureste’s home run on the second pitch of the season triggered a 12-0 win over Hawaii Friday, Nick Catalano followed suit a day later.
This time, however, much more was at stake. In the top of the eighth inning with a runner on base and trailing 2-1, Catalano’s shot over the left field fence at Les Murakami Stadium secured what would be a 3-2 win for the Ducks. 
While Friday night served as an offensive clinic, which Oregon breezed its way through, game two of the four-game series supplied no lack of drama.
In the ninth inning, Garrett Cleavinger couldn’t seem to find his rhythm and a late rally from the Rainbow Warriors subsided. The junior, making his first save opportunity, walked the first batter he faced and after a fielding error from Eureste, Hawaii had runners on first and second.
A sacrifice bunt and a hit by pitch later, the Rainbow Warriors had the bases loaded with just one out.
Yet, Cleavinger wasn’t fazed in the slightest. Hawaii’s Chayce Ka’aua struck out swinging on the ensuing at bat, and after Mark Karaviotis backhanded a short hopper and got the out at first, the game was sealed.
Stephen Nogosek was credited with the win after pitching two scoreless innings of relief.
David Peterson, who was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 28th round of last June’s MLB Draft, made his collegiate debut and had Hawaii on high alert for much of the outing.
The 6-foot-7 freshman struck out eight in six innings and yielded just one earned run on two hits.
Hawaii totaled just two hits, both of which came in the fourth inning. Jordan Richartz singled to center field, scoring Kaeo Aliviado. Then with two outs, Ka’aua singled to left and Marcus Doi scored after a fielding error to put Hawaii on top, 2-1.
Oregon’s first run came after a two-out Steven Packard double that scored Karaviotas in the top of the fourth inning.
For most of Saturday’s game though, Oregon’s inability to take advantage of opportunities became a theme.The Ducks recorded just six hits in the game’s entirety and left a combined six runners on base in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.
But, Catalano’s first collegiate home run offset all of that. The junior center fielder went 2-for-3 with two runs batted in. Packard, who knocked in the first run of the game, finished 1-for-3 with one RBI and one run.
With the win, Oregon improves to 2-0. The team will meet Hawaii at 3:05 PT on Sunday for the third of this four-game series.
Follow Justin Wise on Twitter @JustinFWise