With basketball season finished, focus has been placed on Oregon diamond sports. Oregon baseball, riding a three-game win streak, which included a midweek 12-8 win over Oregon State, stayed hot on Friday.
The Ducks (20-12, 6-4) annihilated Washington State 21-3, thanks to an 11-run sixth inning, after Oregon was already leading 10-1.
This marks the first time the Ducks scored more than 20 runs in a game since they scored 22 against New Mexico State on Feb. 21, 2015. It also was the first time they scored more than 10 runs in an inning since they plated 10 against Seattle on Feb. 27, 2018.
Every single starter in the lineup scored a run and eight of the nine had an RBI. Sam Novitske (three runs and four RBIs) and Max Foxcroft (three runs and three RBIs) led the way for the Ducks.
Tanner Smith (two RBIs), Spencer Steer (two RBIs), Gabe Matthews (one RBI), Johnny DeLuca (three RBIs), Evan Williams (one RBI) and Aaron Zavala (one RBI) all scored two runs.
The Ducks utilized eight hits, three walks and two hit by pitches to plate the 11 runs in the sixth.
Here is how the Ducks scored 11 runs:
Zavala hits an infield single
Cameron Campbell walks
Foxcroft singles to center field to load the bases
Novitske singles to left field to score Campbell and Zavala
Smith triples to right field to score Novitske and Foxcroft
Smith scores on a wild pitch
Steer walks
Matthews single to right field
DeLuca doubles to right field to score Steer
Williams is hit by a pitch, Taylor Adams pinch runs for DeLuca
AJ Miller (pinch hitting for Zavala) singles to right field to score Matthews
Campbell pops out to first base
Foxcroft walks to score Adams
Williams scores on a wild pitch
Novitske singles to right field to score Miller
Vinny Tosti (pinch hitting for Smith) is hit by a pitch
Kyle Froemke (pinch hitting for Steer) hits a fielder’s choice to score Foxcroft
Matthews pops out to shortstop
That astounding display of offense, paired with Washington State’s dismal pitching, made an already out of reach game comical.
The Ducks originally took a 5-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Novitske reached on an error by Washington State third baseman Kodie Kolden. Smith tried to sacrifice himself to move Novitske over, but Kolden committed another error.
Steer singled to make the bases loaded for Matthews, who walked to plate the game’s first run.
DeLuca then doubled to right field to make it 3-0. The Ducks scored two more runs in the inning on a Zavala single and a Foxcroft sacrifice fly.
The Ducks added four more runs in the third inning on a Foxcroft bases loaded walk, a Novitske single, and a two-run Steer single. Their 10th run came in the fourth when Williams hit a sac fly to score DeLuca, who tripled to lead off the inning.
The Ducks pitching staff was easily able to focus on getting outs given the major run support. Friday starter Robert Ahlstrom went five innings, striking out three, while surrendering five hits, four walks and one run.
Oregon’s bullpen allowed two late runs, but the game was so far out of reach, it did not change the result in any way.
Follow Maverick Pallack on Twitter @mavpallack