With the ugly specter of the Oregon State series sweep hanging over the heads of No. 22 Oregon, Tuesday’s game against No. 19 San Diego was a critical game for the Ducks to erase the weekend from their minds as they won 13-4.
It didn’t take long for them to do it, either.
Oregon (31-18) scored six runs in the first inning and ended up with 13 in the game on 13 hits to paste the white-hot Toreros (31-17), who had won 16 of 18, including eight straight, coming into the game.
“I’m going to tell my team thank you because I’m sure whatever we have for dinner tonight is going to taste a lot better than the last four days,” Oregon head coach George Horton said.
Led by a 3-for-4 performance by catcher Eddie Rodriguez that included a home run, a double, two RBI and two runs scored, the Ducks scored early and often.
“We had to come back from a rough four game losing streak,” Rodriguez said. “It was good to come out here and put some good passes on some balls and go out and perform the way we know how to perform.”
In the first inning with two outs, first baseman Jack Marder walked, which started a string of seven consecutive batters reaching base safely. Rodriguez doubled to center field, moving Marder to third, and then right fielder Steven Packard walked to load the bases. Torero pitcher Mike Dedrick walked in a run, then left fielder Marcus Piazzisi doubled into left field to score three runners. The double was followed by a triple from third baseman Dylan Gavin — who had replaced usual starter J.J. Altobelli because of a sprained ankle.
Gavin scored the sixth run of the inning a batter later on a single from Curtis Raulinaitis, and that was the end of the road for Dedrick.
“It was good that we finally got to clutch up, especially with two outs,” Piazzisi said. “There were a lot of clutch hits, and it was huge. It got everyone relaxed, and we got more aggressive.”
Rodriguez followed his double in the first with a no-doubt-about-it solo home run to left field in the second off of reliever Paul Sewald, and after a home run by San Diego first baseman Bryan Haar in the top of the third, Oregon scored two more runs in the bottom of the third to extend the lead to 9-1.
Oregon would add another run in the sixth on an RBI single from Rodriguez and three more in the eighth, two of which came on a double by pinch-hitter Mitch Karraker.
Starter Joey Housey earned the win in the controlled start, going three innings, giving up four hits and one run.
For the Ducks, the offensive outpouring was a breath of fresh air after out-hitting the Beavers in the series, but failing when it mattered most.
“We know we’re a good club, and with them being white-hot coming in, it was nice to get the win,” Piazzisi said. “Obviously it feels good to put up 13 runs.”
There are hopes Oregon will turn things around with 11 games to go in the schedule. This weekend, the Ducks will play East Tennessee State at home, followed by Portland on the road and a series with Washington in Seattle next week.
“I think it was an important victory,” Horton said. “Get back on track, and I guess East Tennessee’s OK. They’re not the who’s who of college baseball, but they’re a second-place team … Hopefully that’ll get us back on track competitively and we can sneak some wins in and carry the momentum into the last two conference series.”
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