Following a perfect record in the month of March, David Peterson’s dominant stretch has continued into April. He racked up his seventh consecutive victory in Oregon’s 10-1 win over the UC Irvine Anteaters at PK Park Friday night.
Peterson delivered his fourth double-digit strikeout performance of the season on Friday with 11, giving him 77 this season. He gave up five hits in six innings and didn’t surrender a walk.
“Mentally I felt really strong and I think the team did,” Peterson said. “No matter what the conditions, I think we played pretty well and got through everything.”
The top of the lineup found great success for the Ducks offensively. Leadoff hitter Kyle Kasser went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs. Batting second, Jake Bennett went 3-for-5, including a double and an RBI-triple.
“I thought he had a good day,” head coach George Horton said of Bennett. “We moved him up in the lineup and that didn’t seem to bother him at all.”
The Ducks utilized triples in both the first inning and fifth inning to assist in scoring three runs in each of those innings. Taylor Travess roped a triple in the fifth that scored two and pushed the lead for the Ducks to 8-1. This season, that has been more than enough when Peterson is on the mound. He has surrendered one run or less in five of his seven starts this season.
“It feels good to go out and get a lead in any game,” Jake Bennett said. “But when you got (Peterson) on the mound it feels good when you go out and get a lead for him.”
Morgan McCullough’s RBI single in the seventh inning pushed the Ducks in to double-digit scoring for the sixth time this season.
Cooper Stiles and Parker Kelly held the Anteaters to just three hits in a combined three innings of relief work for the Ducks as the team coasted to their 19th win of the season.
Game two of the three-game series against UC Irvine continues at PK Park Saturday afternoon at 2:00 p.m.
Follow Zak Laster on Twitter @zlast3445