The Oregon Ducks (38-24) rolled over the Canisius Golden Griffins (34-30) to survive their first game in the elimination bracket of the Springfield Regional. The Ducks will take on the loser of No. 1 Missouri State (46-10) and No. 2 Iowa (40-16) (tonight at 6 p.m.) tomorrow at 2 p.m.
Oregon dropped its first game to Iowa 3-1 on Friday and must win four straight to advance to Super Regionals.
Oregon got off to an insurmountable lead before Canisius scored its first run. Scott Heineman opened the scoring with a two-run double. Shaun Chase followed with a two-run home run to left center, providing starting pitcher Conor Harber a 4-0 advantage in the first inning.
Harber made his second start since losing his spot in the rotation to hybrid-pitcher/catcher Josh Graham a month ago. Canisius knocked Harber around for four earned runs on five hits and six walks in 4.1 innings, but the Ducks provided Harber plenty of run support.
Austin Grebeck drove an RBI-double down the right field line in the second, and Daniel Patzlaff converted a successful safety squeeze in the third. Mitchell Tolman delivered an RBI-single in the fourth, and Scott Heineman scored his fourth run on Patzlaff’s swinging strikeout in the fifth. Oregon led 8-0 when Canisius mounted its only attack.
Three singles, three walks and two wild pitches translated into four runs for the Golden Griffiths in the fifth. Reliever Trent Paddon inherited the bases loaded and retired two batters, but two runners scored before he escaped the threat. Paddon settled in over the ensuing 4.1 innings and was credited with no runs or walks and just three hits. He and Harber struck out six batters each.
Mark Karaviotis and Tolman contributed RBI-singles, while Heineman added his third RBI on a groundout in the sixth. Tolman crushed an RBI-ground rule double in the eighth. Tolman, Heineman, Grebeck and Chase all finished with multiple runs batted in. Heineman, Grebeck and Karaviotis scored three runs apiece.
Canisius cut the deficit to 12-6 with a string of singles in the ninth, but Paddon squashed the rally. Paddon earned his first win since defeating New Mexico State on February 21. Because he and Harber went the distance today, Stephen Nogosek’s and Garrett Cleavinger’s arms will be fresh for Oregon’s second elimination game tomorrow at 2 p.m.
If Oregon defeats the loser of Missouri State/Iowa tomorrow, it will battle the winner in the championship game shortly thereafter at 7 p.m. A potential “what-if” game would be played Sunday at 1 p.m., should Oregon win again. All games would be televised on ESPN3/WatchESPN.
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