Lafayette’s Blaze Fadio launched a homer out to left-center during the second at-bat of Friday’s game. It set the Ducks up nicely for a 17-3 comeback win.
Oregon (3-1) roared back for three runs off three hits and a Lafayette (0-4) error in the 1st. The Ducks had a lead that they wouldn’t surrender en-route to their third win of the season.
Oregon added another run in the 2nd on a Justin Cassella RBI double, his second hit of the game. The Ducks then tacked on a pair more in the 3rd (courtesy of a Jacob Walsh two-run home run), and three more in the 4th on a wild pitch and a pair of triples from Jeffery Heard and Bennett Thompson. The Ducks lead 9-1 after four innings, and it only got worse for the Leopards.
“I thought we were fine tonight,” Oregon head coach Mark Wasikowski said. “I wouldn’t say that it was an awesome performance, but it was probably a solid B performance throughout. But, to come out with the win is always the objective.”
The assault would continue in the 5th with Ryan Cooney’s first career home run and Chase Megger’s two-RBI single. Megger’s hit was the first of his collegiate career after redshirting in 2022 and playing a bench role in 2023. Following his knock, Oregon’s run total was in double-digits for the first time in 2024 and the first time since last season’s Regional Tournament Championship Game against Xavier on June 4.
“We want to figure out what the lineup looks like,” Wasikowski said. “We don’t have that worked out yet.”
The Ducks would not be held scoreless in any inning in Friday’s contest. They scored 18 total runs in their three games in Texas last weekend. They scored 17 in their home-opener against Lafayette on Friday, their most in a single game since scoring 18 against Southeast Missouri State in June of 2022.
On the defensive side, RJ Gordon’s second start of the season was a dominating one. His fastball was consistently in the low-90s with his devious offspeeds leading to a four-strikeout day. After allowing the early home run to Fadio, he settled down to go 6.0 innings while allowing three hits and just the one run. He pitched hitless 2nd, 3rd, and 6th en route to his first win of the young season.
“I think the best thing about his outing is it got better as the outing went,” Wasikowski said. “And he competed. I didn’t feel like he had his best stuff, and I didn’t feel like he was locked in…and then he finished strong.”
Lafayette’s starter, James Reese, had a considerably worse evening. After allowing five runs (four earned) on five hits, he exited with one out in the 3rd following a Thompson double. He was in visible discomfort when he exited. However, given his performance, it’s unclear if his being replaced by Adam Bogosian was due to his injury or his outing. His season’s ERA is up to 8.31.
Bogosian’s night was no better. He was responsible for seven runs (all earned) across 2.0 innings and his season ERA is up to 20.77.
Walsh’s 2nd-inning homer was the Ducks’ first of the season. Fresh off a season where he launched 16 bombs, Walsh’s first of 2024 puts him sixth all-time in Oregon homers with 23.
“They’re great,” Walsh said about the team’s new Marruci bats. “They’ve been really good to us and I’m excited to keep rolling with them.”
Lafayette added a pair of runs late, tacking the Oregon bullpen for two runs on three hits. The Ducks continued to punish the Leopards with a Drew Smith home run in the 7th.
Lafayette had an abysmal start to its 2024 season, getting swept in a three-game series against East Tennessee State that saw the Leopards allow a -42 run-differential. There was little expectation that a four-game series against a team that made an NCAA Super Regional Appearance in 2023 would provide the spark Lafayette needed to get its season going.
It didn’t. The Leopards experienced two hours and 57 minutes of embarrassment at PK Park in the first game of what could end up being a long series for Lafayette. The Ducks won by 14 runs, yet it’s only the 2nd-worst run differential the Leopards have experienced in 2024.
Lafayette has scored 16 total runs this season. Oregon’s Friday-run total is extremely telling for the mismatch PK Park is hosting this weekend.
The Ducks look to carry Friday’s offense into Saturday’s double-header. Oregon and Lafayette will play two games on Feb. 24 with the first scheduled to start at 12:05 p.m.