The Ducks baseball team picked up its first win of the season on Sunday after it split its doubleheader. The Ducks lost the first game, 8-3, and won the second game, 13-1.
In the first game of the doubleheader, the Ducks (1-2) put the pressure on Fresno State early, loading the bases in the second inning. Fresno State escaped the inning without surrendering a run.
Right fielder Slade Heggen led the way for the Ducks, going 3-of-4 including a three-run home run in the top of the third to give the team a 3-1 lead. The Bulldogs responded in the bottom of the third with three runs off two singles to retake the lead at 4-3.
Sophomore starter Matt Mercer finished the game giving up two earned runs on three hits and striking out five batters in 3.1 innings of work.
The Ducks loaded the bases in the top of the fifth but could not score. In the bottom of the seventh, the Ducks committed two throwing errors that led to the Bulldogs adding four runs for a 8-3 lead, the final score.
In game two of the day, the Ducks made up for their earlier lack of offense. Freshman Kenyon Yovan and junior Daniel Patzlaff both had three RBIs. As a team, the Ducks drew 18 walks.
Starting pitcher Cole Stringer went seven innings for the Ducks, tying a career-high. He gave up one run on six hits, struck out a career-high eight batters and walked two in the win.
The Bulldogs scored the first run of the game on a two-out RBI double in the first inning. They kept the lead until the top of the fourth inning when Morgan McCullough tied the game by forcing a walk. Patzlaff then roped a two-run single for a 3-1 lead.
The Ducks loaded the bases in four straight innings. They added runs in the fifth and sixth to push the lead to 5-1. Things would get out of hand for the Bulldogs in the seventh inning when six batters were walked and the Ducks extended their lead to 9-1. In the ninth inning, Kyle Kasser scored on a wild pitch before Yovan collected his three RBIs to cement a blowout win.
The Ducks round out their four-game road trip with another game against Fresno State on Monday at 6:05 p.m.
Follow Zak Laster on Twitter @zlast3445