After two games in the National Club Baseball World Series, the Ducks are 2-0 and have outscored their two opponents 27-12. After defeating Baylor on May 23 18-10 in game one, the team beat Central Michigan University 9-2 on May 25.
The Baylor game featured a combined 34 hits and 10 errors – nine by Baylor – and Oregon scored 10 straight runs after Baylor tied the score in the fifth inning. The Ducks scored six runs in the first four innings to jump out to an early lead before the Bears put up five in the fifth to chase starting pitcher Kyle Knapp from the game. Knapp, who gave up nine hits and six runs, kept Oregon in the game long enough for the offense to win the game.
Results
| Game one: | Oregon 18, Baylor 10 |
| Game two: | Oregon 9, Central Michigan 2 |
In the bottom of the fifth, the team responded with four runs and another seven runs over the next two innings to extend its lead to 17-7. It added one more in the bottom of the eighth and then gave up three runs to Baylor in the top of the ninth off of pitcher Colton Grimes for the final margin.
The team didn’t panic after the Bears tied the score in the fifth, according to catcher Brad Terada.
“We were hitting the ball well going into that inning, and even after they evened it up we were confident we would put up more runs,” he said.
Sophomore Cam Gaulke led the Ducks in a day where seven players had at least two hits. Gaulke went 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs. Junior Nick Johnson added three hits and two runs as well.
Game two featured the Ducks and Central Michigan, which defeated Colorado State University 6-5 two days before. This time it was the defense that won the game, as senior Bryan Hansen pitched seven innings of two-hit baseball and held Central Michigan to two runs. Sophomore Evan Coller threw the final two innings for Oregon.
Statistical leaders in two games
| Cam Gaulke: | 3-for-7, 3 RBIs, 4 runs |
| Brad Terada: | 3-for-7, HR, 4 RBIs, 2 runs, SB |
| Scott Marchione: | 4-for-8, 4 RBIs, 2 runs |
| Nick Johnson: | 3-for-8, 2 RBIs, 2 runs, 4 SB |
| Bryan Hansen: | 7 IP, 1 ER, 2 hits, 3 K, 3 BB |
“Having Hansen go seven innings set us up great for the rest of the week. Our best five pitchers are rested and ready to go the next couple games. Hopefully we can get through this next game with minimal bullpen use too,” Terada said.
From the plate, the Ducks had only eight hits, but Terada made the most of his, hitting a two-run home run. Junior Andrew Murphy added two hits, and Johnson continued his strong hitting, getting another two.
There weren’t many standouts from the team, as the Ducks are playing team ball. Senior Jeff Rogers said everyone knows what they need to do, and shortstop Scott Marchione said the team is in the right spot mentally as it prepares for its next game.
“We won pretty easily against Central Michigan, but we know it won’t continue to be this easy. We’ve been here before and we want to break through and win that final game,” Marchione said.
The Ducks will play Colorado State today at 4:30 p.m., and a win would put them one win shy of getting back to the national championship round.
On the opposite side of the bracket, top-seeded Penn State defeated Virginia Tech 5-4 and then North Carolina State 13-6. It plays the winner of the VT-NC State elimination game today at noon. No. 3-seed Arizona and No. 7 Baylor were eliminated over the weekend.
