The Ducks soared amid turbulent Salt Lake skies.
In a game played during upwards of 23 MPH winds, No. 24 Oregon’s (15-9, 4-1 Pac-12) fundamentals and timely hitting were on full display in its 20-3 win over Utah (14-10, 0-4 Pac-12).
Kai Luschar reaching second due a misplay in left-field proved to be a harbinger for the rest of the contest. Utah had five errors and struggled significantly in all facets of the game.
Coming off a strong showing last weekend against Cal, Morgan Scott got the start in the circle for the Ducks and was spectacular, fanning three and allowing just five baserunners in four innings of work.
Utes’ starter Sarah Ladd’s day went considerably worse. Ladd was greeted by a pair of two-run singles from Alyssa Daniell and Paige Sinicki. Both knocks came with two outs, putting the Ducks up four before Scott even took the mound.
That early cushion would be all Scott would need. Despite six of Utah’s batters entering Friday with batting averages of .320 or above, Scott kept them off balance as she allowed just three hits on the day.
Kaylah Nelson doubled home a run in the first inning making it 4-1 after the first inning of play, but that early resilience wouldn’t be a sign of things to come.
A KK Humphreys single scored Luschar and Emma Kauf, ending Ladd’s day remarkably early in the second. The southpaw entered Friday’s contest with a 2.61 ERA and saw that number rise to 3.30 after allowing seven earned runs and recording just four outs.
Making just her third appearance of the year, Brooklyn Carreon took over for Ladd and immediately surrendered a double to Alyssa Daniell that scored Humphreys. Carreon allowed a two-out walk to Val Wong, but fanned Paige Sinicki to limit the damage.
Scott’s only free passes of the day set up Kaylah Nelson, who brought home Aliya Belarde, making it 7-2 after three.
An errant throw from Carrera on a Katie Flannery swinging bunt brought home Humphreys and put runners in scoring position for Paige Sinicki to single home another run and extend Oregon’s lead to seven.
The Utes’ defensive woes wouldn’t end there. Luschar hit a routine dribbler that hit off Julia Jimenez’s glove, driving home another. An Ariel Carlson single brought home her 26th RBI of the season and helped break the game wide open. Oregon scored four runs in the fourth, but only one of them was earned.
Taylor Jacobs entered for Carreon and didn’t fare much better. 14 Ducks came to the plate in an error and free-pass plagued nine-run fifth inning.
Raegan Breedlove finished the game in relief of Scott. She allowed a run, thus invoking the ten run-rule and mercifully ending game one of the three-game series.
Oregon combined to hit .500 on the day and struck out just twice — the effect of which was only magnified due to Utah’s defensive struggles.
Friday’s loss marks the Utes’ fourth straight to begin conference play, the rest of the series looks to be far more competitive, and far less windy. The first pitch of game two is set for 11 a.m. tomorrow.
