No. 8 Oregon baseball defeated the San Jose State Spartans 13-1 in its second game of a two-game series. With the win, the Ducks improved to 26-9 on the season.
The Ducks tallied 13 runs on 18 hits and maximized their bullpen as six pitchers made an appearance, holding the Spartans to only one run.
The back half of the Ducks lineup has been scorching hot over the last five games, hitting .375. That theme continued today, as the bottom four hitters went 7-for-11.
“The guys behind me were producing,” Aaron Zavala said. “That creates more hitting opportunities for the whole team.”
Gabe Mathews started off the second inning by working a full-count and slapping a single into right field.
Sam Novitzke followed Matthews with a double into left field to put both runners in scoring position and Jack Scanlon loaded the bases after being hit with a pitch. Gavin Grant doubled the opposite way to knock in the first two runs.
Over the last five games, Grant has been on a tear. He’s scored seven runs, delivered five RBIs and hit .526. That streak continued today as the second-baseman went 3-3 on his 21st birthday.
“[Grant] has really invested time in the weight room with Coach Hunter and in the batting cage with Coach Marder,” head coach Mark Wasikowski said. “He’s watched film and made subtle adjustments with the hitting coaches and they’ve worked out… we’re happy for Gavin.”
The rally continued in the bottom of the second, as Anthony Hall singled Scanlon and Grant home to give the Ducks a 4-0 lead.
Peyton Fuller took the mound for the Ducks for the third time this season, but Oregon went to the bullpen early as Logan Mercado came in relief for his first appearance this season.
Spartans’ pitcher Josh Zanger relieved Wesley Clawson, who gave up four runs through four innings. Zanger struggled to find the strike zone as he conceded four pitch walks to Kasevich and Mathews to start the bottom of the fifth inning.
Scanlon’s sacrifice fly into right field drove in Kasevich for Oregon’s fifth run. Scanlon has struggled at the plate this season as he’s posted a .105 batting average through 34 games, but he’s utilized situational hitting skills such as bunts and sacrifice fly-balls to retain his spot in the lineup.
“We trust Jack… he has helped us from a leadership standpoint,” Wasikowski said. “That’s a real strength that he brings to the lineup at catcher.”
Grant’s bat stayed hot as he followed Scanlon with a triple down the right field line, sending Matthews home for his third RBI of the afternoon. Tanner Smith added a double that scored Grant to give Oregon a 7-0 lead.
Oregon continued to pile on the runs. Kenyon Yovan’s single drove in Smith and Aaron Zavala’s double scored Hall. Yovan has come through for the Ducks time and time again, as he leads the team with 32 RBIs.
Freshman Decker Stedman took over for Oregon in the sixth inning. His outing didn’t last long as Ruben Ibarra put the Spartans on the board with a towering solo shot into right field. Stedman was pulled after conceding a walk to Connor Konishi.
Scanlon reached a base for the second time with a single. He made it home as Smith had his second hit of the game with a single to right field.
Smith, the Ducks’ leadoff hitter, has also been impressive in the batter’s box with runners in scoring position as he’s second on the team in RBIs, with 25.
The Ducks extended their lead in the bottom of the eighth inning when Zavala looped a single into left field to score Sam Olsson and Colby Shade. Oregon went on to win 13-1.
The Ducks’ next game is Friday, April 30 against Washington State in Pullman.
