The sun was out on Friday, and many Oregon students spent the day splashing around in the Willamette River. Balls off the bat of Drew Cowley and the Oregon offense seemed destined for a similar location as the Ducks blasted four homers and a pair of ground rule doubles in an 11-5 series-opening win over Arizona State. 

“It’s definitely nice to give our pitching some support with some runs,” Cowley said. “I was just trying to take what the pitchers gave me. Not trying to do too much. I’m just lucky enough that two of them left the yard today.”

Cowley’s five-RBI day — backed by another solid day on the mound from Jace Stoffal — stunned No. 12 Arizona State (28-14, 13-5 Pac-12) in the series opener on Friday as No. 20 Oregon’s (29-12, 12-7 Pac-12) offense exploded in Game 1. 

Stoffal got through the top of the first in just nine pitches. It took Oregon hitters 15 of Arizona State’s Jonah Giblin’s pitches to snare an early 1-0 lead on Cowley’s seventh home run of the season. 

His eighth came in grand fashion in an extended fourth inning. 

After a string of two-out hits from Josiah Cromwick and Anson Aroz, the Ducks led 3-1 in the fourth. Gavin Grant drew a walk to load the bases for Rikuu Nishida. ASU hoped to limit the damage with a pitching change. Nishida instead roped a ground rule double to center to make it 5-1 Ducks. Shade drew a walk to give Cowley a bases-loaded opportunity.

With all Ducks on the pond, Cowley delivered again. 

His second home run of the day sent PK Park into a frenzy, and Arizona State into panic mode as it stared down a 9-1 deficit. 

That lone ASU run came from an odd third inning that saw Oregon surrender a self-inflicted run. Sun Devil catcher Bronson Balholm reached on a Sabin Ceballos fielding error. Stoffal then decided to throw the very next pitch from the windup, allowing Balholm to steal second base before the ball even crossed the plate. A two-out knock from Luke Hill drove Balholm in and temporarily tied the game 1-1.

The tie was short-lived. Colby Shade smacked a ball that cleared the left field banners, scoreboard and first few rows in the parking lot with an explosive blast in the third inning and put Oregon back ahead 2-1.

After hitting a ball off that same banner a few weeks ago, Shade said it was one of the best feeling homers he’s ever hit. His bomb on Friday, he said, he didn’t even watch. He just ran the bases as fast as he could. Sounds like Shade has unrecognizable power: arguably the scariest kind for pitchers. 

Through the first four innings, eight of Oregon’s 10 hits and all nine runs had been tallied with two outs. 

Head coach Mark Wasikowski credited his entire staff. This team’s power, consistency and heart stems from a talented staff, he said.

Giblin’s day ended after 3 2/3 innings. He surrendered seven hits, six runs and two homers to a devilish Duck offense that looks to stay hot as the sun all weekend long. 

A sixth-inning moonshot off the bat of Nick McLain rattled off the roof of the Sargent Player Development Area and brought home a meaningless ASU run to make it 9-2. 

Just a few batters later, Shade sent a ground rule double out to right-center field to drive in Nishida and effectively erase McLain’s feat.

Stoffal settled in after the third-inning outlier. He went 6 2/3 innings, surrendering one earned run and striking out seven Sun Devils as he picked up his eighth win of the season. A standing ovation commended Stoffal as he turned the ball over to Grayson Grinsell with a runner on first and an eight-run lead in the seventh. 

On a night where he said he didn’t even have his best stuff, Stoffal kept one of the country’s top offenses at bay. 

“I was only throwing two pitches,” Stoffal said. “It was just fastball [and] changeup. As the Friday guy, even if you aren’t on, you’ve got to grind it out for the team. I wasn’t hitting my spots but it was working out.” 

Walsh joined the homer parade with a long ball in the seventh. His team-leading 12th of the season hugged the right field foul pole and cushioned the already incredibly comfortable lead. The Ducks led 11-2 after seven innings.

McLain sent another ball into orbit in the eighth. This one bounced off the scoreboard. Jacob Tobias sent a ball into the parking lot a few batters later to cut the deficit to 11-4.

The Ducks still led — and won — by a touchdown. It seemed fitting for a game in which Oregon quarterback Bo Nix threw out the ceremonial first pitch. 

Many expected this weekend’s series to be a tense one. Friday’s beatdown was far from.

Grinsell ended up going 1 1/3 innings in relief. Jacob Hughes pitched the ninth and allowed an unearned run on a Cromwick throwing error. The Ducks were able to use just three pitchers in game one.

Eight of Oregon’s nine starters recorded a hit. Four Ducks tallied multiple hits. Cowley, Shade and Walsh each left the yard on a pretty good day for the offense. 

“It’s just fun,” Wasikowski said. “These guys are a lot of fun to be around and when the success gets spread out, it’s even more gratifying.” 

The ideal start to a crucial weekend. 

Oregon and Arizona State sit atop the Pac-12 standings alongside Stanford. A sweep by the Ducks could put them in sole possession of first place. They’re one step — and about 1500 feet in homers — closer after Friday’s blowout.

Game 2 is set for 3:05 on Saturday. Logan Mercado will be on the mound as the Ducks hunt a fourth straight home-series win.