The Oregon baseball team won game two of their four-game series against New Mexico State on Friday by a score of 8-2.
Left-hander Robert Ahlstrom got the start for the Ducks, taking a 2.74 ERA and 1.00 WHIP to the mound.
The first batter he faced tapped an infield single and advanced to second on a throwing error by first baseman Gabe Matthews. With two outs and a runner on third, a routine fly ball clanked off right fielder Aaron Zavala’s glove for the Ducks’ second error of the inning. New Mexico State took a 1-0 lead in the first.
Ahlstrom didn’t let the sloppy first inning phase him, as he set the Aggies down in order in the second, striking out three in the first two innings.
The Ducks got their first baserunner in the second as Matthews was hit by a pitch, but they went down quietly without a hit for the remainder of the inning.
Ahlstrom allowed back-to-back singles in the third, with the lead runner advancing to third on another error by Zavala. A sacrifice bunt then gave the Aggies a 2-0 lead.
After Gavin Grant walked, the Ducks got their first hit in the bottom of the third as Tanner Smith beat out an infield single. Anthony Hall continued his hot streak since being inserted into the starting lineup, lining a sharp double to get the Ducks on the board.
Kenyon Yovan, starting at third base for the first time this season, came in clutch with a two-run single to put the Ducks on top, 3-2.
Oregon added three more runs in the fourth. Grant drove in two with a double, as Josh Kasevich was nearly thrown out at home but was granted the extra base, and the run, due to inference by the Aggies’ shortstop. Smith then brought in Grant with a groundout to make it 6-2.
Ahlstrom kept the Aggies at bay, working around walks in the fourth and fifth.
Matthews blasted a two-run homer to right-center in the bottom of the fifth, extending the Ducks’ lead to 8-2. It was the third home run of the season for Matthews as he continued to heat up.
Freshman Scott Ellis replaced Ahlstrom after six innings and pitched a scoreless seventh. Ahlstrom finished the day having allowed no earned runs with three hits and two walks while striking out six.
“I had a lot of my pitches working for me, which is always nice,” Ahlstrom said. “They scored that one, but my objective there was to keep it there and let the offense start working.”
Sam Novitske replaced Yovan at third base as the Ducks took an 8-2 lead to the ninth. After not a single ball was hit to Yovan all game, the first Aggies batter grounded out to third. Caleb Sloan recorded the final three outs with two strikeouts to seal the victory.
“I thought we were able to overcome a loose beginning with three mistakes at the beginning of the ball game,” head coach Mark Wasikowski said. “That didn’t unravel us, and we were able to sustain pressure.”
With the win, Oregon improves to 14-6 on the season. The Ducks will play games three and four of the series in a doubleheader starting at noon on Saturday.