David Peterson (3-1) followed up his record setting 17-strikeout game with a 14-strikeout performance in a 2-1 victory over the Santa Clara Broncos Friday night at PK Park.
“His first two starts were not gems like his last two starts and he’s just stayed with the process,” Oregon head coach George Horton said.  “That’s about as good as it gets the last two games.”
Over his last two starts, Peterson has 31 strikeouts in 15.1 innings, giving up just three hits per start. The Broncos drew the only walk Peterson has given up in his last 81 batters faced. The 31 strikeouts are the most in back-to-back outings in the modern era by an Oregon pitcher. It marks the second game in a row Peterson has broken a record held by Tyler Anderson, who had struck out 26 over two games in 2011.
“I felt good, came out a little sore and once I got going, the adrenaline going, I felt a lot better.” Peterson said. “I think I settled in a little bit.”
The win for the Ducks (9-4), was the team’s fourth in a row. With just two games left before Pac-12 play begins, the recent success has the team feeling good.
“There’s an energy in the locker room you can feel,” Peterson said. “I think it just adds up as a team, then you see the wins go up.”
Jake Bennett led the way offensively for the Ducks, going 2-for-3 and bringing in both runs for the Ducks.. Kyle Kasser went 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored. He is 13-for-25 in the last six games. Matthew Dyer added two hits, including a double.
Kenyon Yovan came in the game for Peterson with one out in the top of the eighth inning and a man on first base. Yovan shut down the Broncos with back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning. The ninth inning didn’t come as smooth for Yovan. After getting the first two outs, he surrendered a single to Andre Nnebe and a double to Matt Smithwick, putting runners on second and third.
In the next at bat, a passed ball by Yovan allowed Nnebe to score, making the PK Park crowd of 1,217 a little nervous. Yovan found himself in a similar situation in Peterson’s last start against the Bulldogs, with two outs, a runner on third and a chance to tie the game. However, just like in that situation, Yovan settled in tonight and struck out the final batter to end the game.
Game three of the four game series is Saturday at 2:00 p.m. and Matt Mercer will start for the Ducks.
Follow Zak Laster on Twitter: @zlast3445