With one swing, Brandon Cuddy transformed a close game into a blowout, leading to a No. 20 Oregon (10-1) win over No. 22 UC Santa Barbara (7-3),11-3.
Facing UCSB’S starter, Shane Bieber, who entered the game with a 1.12 ERA, Cuddy smashed a grand slam, giving the Ducks a 7-2 cushion. A Mark Karaviotis RBI single through the left side capped Oregon’s five-run fifth inning.
Cuddy had already tied the game at 2 by tripling with no outs in the fourth inning, scoring Shaun Chase and Mitchell Tolman. In the following at bat, Phil Craig-St. Louis scored Cuddy on a sacrifice fly to left field, giving the Ducks a 3-2 lead.
In the top of the fifth, Nick Catalano walked and Matt Eureste reached base on a catcher’s interference to set up the inning. After intentionally walking Tolman, the Gauchos threw Catalano out at home on a Shaun Chase ground ball, bringing Cuddy to the plate.
His grand slam all but sealed it for the Ducks.
Bieber exited the game after the fifth, allowing eight runs (three earned), eight hits and two walks with six strikeouts.
With three runs, one walk and five hits surrendered, Chris Clements, who replaced Bieber for the remaining four innings, did not fare much better.
The Ducks would score another run in the sixth, followed by two in the ninth, including Cuddy’s seventh RBI on a ground out. Cuddy’s team-leading RBI total rose to 11 on the season after Saturday.
Oregon starter David Peterson pitched six innings, allowing three runs on four hits and one walk, while striking out five. Trent Paddon closed out the game with two perfect innings and two strikeouts.
Oregon recorded 13 hits, leaving six runners on base, while the Gauchos notched five hits, stranding four.
The Ducks will look to sweep UCSB tomorrow at noon.
Follow Jack Heffernan on Twitter @JHeffy13