The No. 16 Ducks completed a two-game sweep of the San Francisco Dons@@http://www.usfdons.com/landing/index@@ Tuesday afternoon behind a dominant, combined-pitching effort highlighted by Jeff Gold,@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&ATCLID=204836105&DB_OEM_ID=500@@ who threw five no-hit innings en route to his fourth win of the year.@@http://www.goducks.com/downloads2/450529.pdf?ATCLID=205411644&SPSID=94831&SPID=11401&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500@@
Head coach George Horton said he planned to use a variety of pitchers today to save his staffs’ arms for a pivotal road series this weekend at Stanford.@@http://www.goducks.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&SPID=11401&SPSID=94835@@
“He (Gold) was going to go five, no matter if it was good or bad,” Horton said. “It was all predetermined and obviously, when you’ve got something special going on like what was going on, you can start getting greedy or think about doing something different, but we stuck with the plan.”
After Jourdan Weiks reached on an error to open the game, Gold caught fire, retiring the next 15 consecutive batters@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205411644@@ before handing over the reins to Brando Tessar, who threw a no-hit sixth inning.@@http://www.goducks.com/downloads2/450529.pdf?ATCLID=205411644&SPSID=94831&SPID=11401&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500@@
“I just wanted to get my work in and pass the baton,” Gold said. “No doubt that the guys behind me would be able to come in and get the job done.”
The Dons got their first hit with two outs in the seventh inning on a single to right field, ending the combined no-hit bid of Gold, Tessar and Joey Housey.@@http://www.usfdons.com/sports/m-basebl/2011-12/releases/20120410pcxr9v@@
The Ducks led wire-to-wire in picking up the 4-1 win over the Dons, taking the lead in the first inning on a deep single by Aaron Jones and hustle baserunning from Aaron Payne, who scored from first on the play.@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205411644@@
Oregon’s eventual winning run came on a safety squeeze play in the third inning@@see above@@ — the kind of fundamental play that Horton has long branded his programs on.
“The bunting game has been our bread and butter — and my program’s bread and butter — forever,” Horton said. “When you’re not hitting, or you’re facing championship kind of pitching, you better be able to do that.”
He was quick to point out that while the Ducks’ bunting game showed signs of life, there was room left for improvement.
“We had six misfires, so we’d like to see that plus-percentage goes up,” he said.
The play was set up on a successful double steal by J.J. Altobelli and Connor Hofmann, although it appeared Hofmann may have been out at third base.@@see above@@ San Francisco head coach Nino Girarratano@@http://www.usfdons.com/sports/m-basebl/coaches/giarratano_nino00.html@@ immediately left his dugout to argue with third base umpire Brent Cunningham and was promptly ejected.@@http://www.usfdons.com/sports/m-basebl/2011-12/boxscores/20120409_sv5q.xml@@
The top third of the Ducks’ order returned to life Tuesday after going a combined 1 for 12 Monday night.@@http://www.goducks.com/downloads2/450629.htm?ATCLID=205411250&SPSID=94831&SPID=11401&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500@@ Oregon also welcomed sophomore Kyle Garlick@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=94833&SPID=11401&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205072731&Q_SEASON=2011@@ back to the lineup after he missed several games due to injury.
Ryon Healy went 1 for 3 in the cleanup spot for the Ducks, but he made his one hit count, knocking a double to the warning track right in front of the 375 sign in left-center.@@http://www.goducks.com/downloads2/450629.htm?ATCLID=205411250&SPSID=94831&SPID=11401&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500@@
“You’re not going to get them all,” Healy said. “We left some runners on base yesterday and today, and I think we got situational hitting when we needed.”
He praised the Ducks’ stellar pitching, especially Gold, who picked up his first win since March 10.@@http://www.goducks.com/downloads2/448545.htm?ATCLID=205395824&SPSID=94831&SPID=11401&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500@@
“It was wonderful to see,” Healy said. “That’s Jeff Gold right there — mixing it up, keeping them off balance.  I know he’s had a couple rough outings, but he definitely came back and did really well today.”
Oregon now begins preparations for its road trip against Stanford and Cardinal ace Mark Appel,@@http://www.gostanford.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/appel_mark00.html@@ considered (by some baseball experts) as a potential first-overall pick in the Major League Draft, though Horton said he expects his team to focus on their own game.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s Mark Appel or anybody across the country that’s a Friday guy,” he said. “Just because he’s the number one pick doesn’t make him any tougher than any of the other Friday starters in the Pac-12.”@@well, i don’t know about that mr. horton. better be prepared@@