According to Oregon coach George Horton, senior track-star-turned-baseball-player Vernell Warren is so fast that even when the Duck defense knows what’s coming, Warren still often bunts for hits during practice. @@http://www.goducks.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&SPID=11401&SPSID=94834@@ @@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=94833&SPID=11401&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=1279831&Q_SEASON=2011@@
This weekend, Long Beach State (4-7) found out Warren’s speed translates just fine to actual games. In all three of Oregon’s (10-1) wins, Warren was inserted late into the game as a pinch-runner and eventually scored the winning run. @@http://www.longbeachstate.com/sports/m-basebl/sched/lbst-m-basebl-sched.html@@ @@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPID=11401&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205391377@@
In Sunday’s 8-7 win over the Dirtbags, Warren replaced Brett Thomas after Thomas hit a triple to open the bottom of the ninth inning. Several batters and two outs later, Duck catcher Aaron Jones lofted a single to left field, scoring Warren, and putting a cap on Oregon’s tenth-consecutive win, the last three of which have come on walk-offs over Long Beach State.
“3-0, I was expecting a take sign, and at the last minute coach (Mark Wasikowsi) gave me the green light,” Jones said. “It was right down the middle. Couldn’t get much better.”
Oregon had to overcome two significant deficits to get to that point. Duck starter Brando Tessar allowed five runs over 4 2/3 innings, and Oregon found itself in a 5-0 hole after five innings. After the Ducks responded with a run in the bottom of the fifth and four in the seventh to tie the game at 5-5, Long Beach State retook the lead by scoring two runs in the eighth.
Yet Oregon came back once again, scoring two runs in the bottom of the eighth to tie the game at seven, and Jones and Warren teamed up to give the Ducks the victory in the ninth.
“What shows up is the mental toughness and the persistence of our young team,” Horton said, “and we’re very proud of them for that.”
Friday
Oregon’s 5-4 win over Long Beach State in the Ducks’ home opener Friday night foreshadowed the dramatic nature of the final two games in the series. @@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPID=11401&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205390745@@
With the score tied at 4-4 in the bottom of the ninth, Duck designated hitter Ryon Healy walked to begin the inning. Warren was summoned from the bench to pinch run for Healy, and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt.
The next batter, Scott Heineman, chopped a grounder to Long Beach State shortstop Matt Duffy, who threw wildly to first base. The speedy Warren capitalized on the error and raced around third to narrowly beat the throw home and send the crowd of 1,250 into a frenzy. @@http://www.pac-12.org/portals/7/images/baseball/stats/2011-12/HTML/ore.htm@@
The Ducks trailed 3-0 early on after starter Alex Keudell gave up three runs in the first. Keudell eventually settled down, however, and the Ducks scored three in the fourth inning and one in the fifth to take a 4-3 lead. Long Beach State tied the game in the seventh on an RBI single by Ino Patron, setting the stage for Oregon’s dramatic walk-off win.
Oregon reliever Jeff Gold picked up his second win of the season by tossing two shutout innings, while Kyle Friedrichs, the last of six relievers used by the Dirtbags, was tagged with the loss for Long Beach State. @@http://www.longbeachstate.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/lbst-m-basebl-mtt.html@@
Saturday
It took 13 innings and over four hours, but Oregon found a way to extend its winning streak by defeating Long Beach State 3-2 on Saturday. @@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPID=11401&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205391599@@
Warren was a hero yet again. In the 13th inning, after reaching on a bunt single and going to second on a balk, he was sacrificed to third. Sophomore Kyle Garlick was summoned from the bench and delivered the game-winning pinch-hit single.
If Warren and Garlick were the Ducks’ offensive heroes, pitchers Jake Reed and Jimmy Sherfy kept Long Beach State’s offense from doing major damage. Reed pitched 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball but earned a no decision, and Sherfy pitched 5.2 innings out of the bullpen, striking out eight and allowing a single run to earn the win. @@http://www.goducks.com/downloads2/448181.htm?ATCLID=205391599&SPSID=94831&SPID=11401&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500@@
Jon Maciel was tagged with the loss for the Dirtbags.