Kenyon Yovan can’t save Ducks, Oregon remains winless

February 18, 2020

Oregon sophomore starting pitcher Kenyon Yovan was in a bind. After allowing only two hits and one run through eight innings, Yovan put Arizona runners on first and second base with no outs in the ninth inning. He had just hit a batter, and his pitch count was well above …

Ducks baseball lost its fourth straight game to open the season on Tuesday, losing to Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona. The Ducks and Antelopes were locked in a 3-3 tie but gave up the game in the 12th inning when the Antelopes’ Channy Ortiz scored on a wild pitch.

Oregon got off to a good start, getting one in the fourth inning when Aaron Zavala hit a sacrifice fly which allowed Kenyon Yovan to score. But that lead was not to last as Grand Canyon’s Dominic Grissom hit a two-run homer to take the lead.

In the sixth inning, Yovan hit his first home run of the day to tie the game 2-2. His homer was Oregon’s first this season. But again, Grand Canyon got back on the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth inning to take a 3-2 lead.

But Yovan came up clutch yet again, hitting his second solo home run over the right field fence to tie the game in the top of the eighth. Yovan ended the day with three hits in three at bats with three runs and two RBIs.

On the pitching side, Oregon’s Decker Stedman recorded a loss in his first career start for the team.

Oregon’s loss was a disappointing finish to the team’s first road trip, where it went 0-4, losing three games in Tempe, Arizona over the weekend.

The Ducks will hunt for their first win of the season as they return home to take on Nevada on Friday.