The Oregon club baseball team (18-5 overall) is notorious for starting slow. Ask any of the players, and they’ll roll their eyes and tell you they have been known for starting games flat, and how it gets them into trouble. This weekend against Western Washington University that bug finally caught up with them as they lost the first game of the three-game series, snapping a string of 14 straight victories that started over spring break.
“We’ve been known for coming out of the box slow, and that’s something we need to fix,” senior Bryan Hansen said. “Once playoffs start, we won’t be able to spot the other team a three or four run lead.”
Kyle Knapp started the opening game, after being moved up in the usual rotation because pitcher Bennett Frazier was gone for the weekend. Knapp allowed an early two-run home run and two runs in the third to give Western Washington a 4-1 lead. After Oregon pulled within two runs in the fifth, Knapp gave up another run in the seventh to increase the lead back to three. In the bottom of the seventh the team’s rally fell through after two guys struck out with runners at second base. The 5-2 defeat gave the Ducks their first conference loss and put them into a tie with the Vikings for first place.
Coach Kenny Swartwout was disappointed with the way the Ducks played the first game, saying they played uninspired.
“They (the Vikings) just wanted it more. We had a lot of bat at-bats, and we gave them way too many easy outs.”
Oregon’s bats were quiet, getting only two runs on four hits. They’ve failed to score 10 runs only once in league play, and that came in a 5-1 win over Seattle University two weeks ago.
With Hansen on the mound in the second game, the Vikings again jumped to a two run lead, but this time the Ducks responded with two of their own to tie. After Western Washington added another in the second, Quentin Clark was ejected in the bottom of the inning for arguing a called third strike. Hansen rallied the team, and he struck out the side to start an Oregon comeback that saw the team score 12 runs to beat the Vikings 14-3 by virtue of the 10-run rule. Cam Gaulke led the revival, going 3-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBIs. Brad Terada added two hits and four RBIs.
Mike Loverro started the third game, and it was back to business for the Ducks. They posted 13 runs on Western Washington, and Loverro went five innings and struck out eight batters while giving up two runs.
From the plate, outfielder Corey Johnson went 3-for-4, and shortstop Scott Marchione had four RBIs to highlight Oregon’s 14-hit game. Swartwout was pleased with how the team rallied from the bad start to finish the weekend two-for-three.
“Overall it was a good weekend. Everyone loses once and awhile, and we responded well. That’s all you can ask,” he said.
Gaulke said it was pure motivation.
“After Quentin got tossed, we focused up and hit the ball hard. Western always plays up to us, and we wanted to come back and beat them,” Gaulke said.
The Ducks only have three more games to clinch the conference title. After taking two this weekend, the Ducks are in first by a full game, and they would have to be swept by last place Evergreen State College next weekend to lose it.