The day after the Milwaukee Panthers took Oregon to 11 innings, starting pitcher Robert Ahlstrom dominated the Milwaukee lineup backed by a slew of hits and runs. The Ducks beat the Panthers 7-2 on Friday evening to take the first two games of the series and improve their record to 5-4.
The Oregon battery consisted of two Eugene natives — Ahlstrom, a North Eugene High School alum, and Sam Olssen, a Sheldon High School alum behind the plate. Ahlstrom was quick and efficient early, pounding the zone with fastballs and deceiving batters with his changeup. He seemed to be jelling with Olssen, who received just his second start of the year and caught Ahlstrom for the first time as a Duck.
“We knew each other growing up and played a couple seasons together during summer ball,” Ahlstrom said. “It’s really nice, we have good chemistry so throwing to him has been awesome.”
Ahlstrom got through the six scoreless, highlighted by a six-pitch fifth inning. He only let one baserunner advance past first base in the first six, and started to settle into a groove in the third inning.
“As the game started going I started getting more comfortable with the changeup and with breaking balls as well,” he said. “As the game got going, I got stronger.”
His dominance was halted in the seventh, however, with Milwaukee batters hitting three singles and a double leading to the only two Panther runs of the game.
This wouldn’t matter — the Oregon offense provided ample run support. Olssen started the scoring in the first with a two-out RBI single to right — his first hit of the season — then Anthony Zavala would follow with a single of his own to give Ahlstrom a two-run cushion in the first.
Milwaukee went with starter Jack Mahoney — a 6-foot-8, 230 pound slow-footed lefty out of Appleton, Wisconsin. Mahoney struggled with his command early, walking three and allowing all seven runs in just 3.1 innings pitched. The first time through the Oregon lineup, he suffered five three-ball counts, not including a hit-by-pitch.
The scoring marathon continued in the third inning. Gabe Matthews singled, Olssen walked and Zavala picked up another RBI single, but Evan Williams put an exclamation point on the inning with a two-RBI double over the centerfielder’s head.
Oregon scored their final two runs in the fourth inning on a walk and singles by Matthews and Kenyon Yovan. The Ducks finished with 12 hits, with Yovan and Zavala accounting for three apiece. Milwaukee pitchers also hit four Oregon batters.
Ahlstrom lowered his ERA to 2.81, the lowest of the starting bunch for Oregon.
Keaton Chase relieved Ahlstrom in the eighth, pitching the final two innings and allowing zero runs on one hit with a walk and a strikeout.
The Ducks have now won five straight games and improve to a winning 5-4 record after an 0-4 start. They look to finish the series strong with the Saturday nightcap of the doubleheader and a 12 p.m. start Sunday afternoon.